


The Terms of War

by KG456



Category: Airwolf
Genre: Espionage, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:00:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 61,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28648683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KG456/pseuds/KG456
Summary: Hi all. I originally posted this on FF.net. It’s still a WIP.My lost season 4. With Hawke adapting to life as a single parent, could the people he trusts most, be about to deliver the biggest threat yet to his family, and Airwolf?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Somewhere North of Wichita, Kansas

Darkness had fallen quickly, like a shroud across the deserted parking lot. A a small, solitary street lamp provided the only source of light, casting an eerie, orange glow over the shadow of a Sedan, tucked neatly down the side of an old abandoned warehouse. Two hunched figures appeared from the rear of the car, their harried voices growing louder as they exited the alley.

"I told you, this is the place!"

"There's no one here, Jensen. There's no one for miles around! I think we should just go-"

Jensen swivelled on his heel, and thumped his hand onto the chest of his companion, who halted instantly.

"No. We stay"

The second man nodded, and satisfied he'd made his point, Jensen turned, and strode towards the light, mumbling under his breath.

"Roach, man?! Are you coming?"

Rubbing his chest from the earlier blow, Roach reluctantly followed, cursing his luck for being stuck in a deserted car park in the small hours of the morning. Dawn would soon break, and any chance of the elusive meeting would vanish.

Roach glanced around as they finally reached the small shaft of light which illuminated a little of their surroundings. Empty crates were stacked haphazardly against the side of the warehouse, the remnants of what they once contained, strewn across the floor. Windows were boarded up, doors bolted. A sign, the writing partially obscured, hung precariously by one corner, swinging back and forth in the breeze that was beginning to pick up momentum. It was clear no one had been here for a very long time. Roach glanced up as the street lamp flickered and died, plunging the parking lot once again into inky blackness.

"Shit!"

Marcus Jensen had never been a patient man. Much less one for candlestine meetings in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night. He wasn't a bad man, in fact compared to his associates, he should be polishing his halo. He just did what he needed to to get by. And if that meant breaking a few rules now and then, then so be it. His sole purpose was survival.

"I thought you said he'd be here at midnight"

Jensen ignored his companion and rummaged around in his pockets, letting out an exasperated sigh as he dug his hand deeper into the lining of his jacket.

"Jensen!"

Silence.

"Jensen! You there?"

A small flame emanated for Jensens right hand, casting a shadow across his rugged features.

"Yeah,. I'm here" Jensen confirmed, amused at his companions obvious discomfort of his surroundings.

"Where's your man?" Roach asked, leaning against the Sedan. "He was meant to be here an hour ago"

Jensen looked up as the street lamp flickered back to life, and in one swift movement, he snapped his Zippo lighter shut.

"Relax, Roach. He'll be here" Jensen replied with a grin, casually flicking the top of the lighter open and shut with his thumb. "Cullens a man of his word"

Jim Roach glanced around, his sharp, highly trained eye searching every dark corner for any sign of movement, his broad shoulders tensed and ready for a fight. His years as an operative for the FIRM had taught him to be on his guard, to be suspicious of every given situation.

Roach stuffed his wind weathered hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders as the wind began to pick up, hurling a tin can and an empty takeout box across the parking lot.

"Cullen sure does pick his places" Roach commented wryly, glancing up as something creaked ominously above his head "I mean, a pool and a few bikini models wouldn't have been to much to ask for!"

Roach chuckled at the irony of his own joke.

Jensen smiled as another click of the lighter caught Roach's attention

"Hey, come on Roach. Not afraid of the dark, are ya?"

Jensens dark eyes slid to the smaller man on his right.

"No" Roach replied defensively. "It's just that somewhere a little more-"

He searched for the right word

"Populated, would've been preferable"

"More people to see things they shouldn't" Jensen replied easily with another click of the Lighter. "And you know what happens to people who see things they shouldn't?"

Jensens gaze met Roach's, and his green eyes widened with the insinuation laced in the younger mans words.

Roach's brows knitted together in a frown as Jensen's shoulders began to shake, and suddenly realised Jensen was laughing. His confusion turned to irritation as he watched the cocky operative stow his lighter back in his jacket pocket, and realised with some chagrin he reminded him of someone else he used to know.

"Relax, man. I was kidding!" Jensen exclaimed as Roach let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "Jeez, of all the people they could send, and I get stuck with a nervous nelly..."

Roach opened his mouth to protest, when a set of head lights swept around the vague outline of another abandoned building on the opposite side of the lot. He snapped his mouth closed and narrowed his eyes on the advancing limousine. In the rapidly fading light, he could just about make out three hazy outlines through the window. Automatically, his hand found its way to the gun snuggly tucked in the waistband of his sand coloured chinos.

"We're on" Jensen murmured, taking a step away from the Sedan.

Roach took a deep breath as the limo halted a few feet away and moved to join Jensen at the front of their own car. They were shoulder to shoulder.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened and three suited men exited the car, and immediately Jim Roach's interest was piqued. The older man, with dark brown hair permeated with streaks of grey, took the lead, his confident, powerful gait, insinuating that of a well seasoned soldier.

"Mr Cullen" Jensen nodded in acknowledgement "it's good to see you again, Sir"

"Marcus" Cullen returned. His voice was deep, almost glutteral, resonating deep from the base of his throat. Roach shivered slightly, perturbed by this formiddable individual. He turned to look at Roach.

"You must be Roach" Cullen extended his hand. "I'm pleased to be doing business with you"

Roach could only manage a half smile as he twisted his hand free from the iron grip of the older man.

His eyes travelled over his well worn features. He was a good looking man, no doubt about that. He was strong and athletic.

Roach had read his file. For his fifty years, he kept himself in good shape, and was never short of a female companion or two. Despite his good looks, years of hardship were beginning to show, adding a few years onto the permanent lines etched into his brow. His once soft brown eyes now had a cold, hard edge, that made the small hairs on the back of Roach's neck stand on end.

"Well, let's get this over with" Roach replied, not particularly in the mood for pleasantries. "Did you bring the goods?"

Cullen chuckled

"We are in a hurry, aren't we" he smiled "Slow down, Mr Roach. I have the goods. They are to be transported into the United States, noon on Friday. You will have you share then."

Roach snorted

"How do you intend to get the stuff into the States?" He asked incredulously, ignoring Jensens worried expression thrown in his direction "you think you can just, walk it through customs?"

"You underestimate me, Mr Roach. One man will bring it into the States. Under the radar. No-one will know were there"

Roach and Jensen fell silent as they processed the implication.

"Now just hang on a minute" Jensen pushed himself away from the hood of the car he'd been using as a perch "You mean Hawke and that machine of his?"

Jensen looked nervously between Cullens lackeys who remained inanimate.

"Very perceptive, Mr Jensen"

Roach remained silent, fearing any false move would blow his cover. He hadn't been prepared for this development, and now it was imperative he adapted accordingly.

"No, no, no... You're crazy!" Jensen exclaimed, jabbing a finger in Cullens direction"If you think Hawkes-"

"DONT worry about Stringfellow Hawke" Cullen replied, cutting Jensen off mid flow. "I can assure you, his compliance will not be an issue"

Jensen ran a hand through his dark mass of curls as he blew out his cheeks.

"You'll kill us all, man" Jensen muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

A slight movement from the rear of the car, teased Roach's peripheral vision. Cullens head swivelled as the rear door opened, drawing Roach's attention to a fourth occupant, who had waited until now to exit the car. His mouth dropped open as he took in the blinding haze of white, the eye patch as black as the night that hid a myriad of secrets, and the silver handle of a cane, glinting in the moonlight.

Roach couldn't speak, any words he attempted to formulate, caught fast in his throat. Feeling the heat begin to rise, Roach loosened his collar, and swiped away a solitary bead of sweat from his brow.

The newcomer tipped his Panama hat in greeting, a wide smile spreading across his face

"Gentlemen"

"Michael-" Roach croaked in reply, before Cullen turned back to face the men.

"As I said. Hawkes compliance will not be an issue"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Stringfellow Hawke checked his watch for the tenth time in an hour as he gathered up the breakfast dishes and dumped them unceremoniously in the sink. Without breaking stride, he swivelled on his heel and made his way back across the living room towards the stairs, sidestepping the open chemistry and history textbooks strewn across the cabin floor with relative ease. In the four and a half weeks that he'd taken in his nephew Le, his life had become disorganised. Messy. he finally reached the stairs, he grimaced as a crunching sound beneath his feet announced the demise of his nephews favourite remote controlled helicopter Cait had given him for his birthday.

Hawke knelt down beside the mangled wreckage and picked up the remains of what used to be the tail rotor. From his,place on the hearth, Tet raised his head and watched his master with interest as he tossed the twisted plastic aside, and surveyed the destruction that currently encompassed his living room. Anyone on the outside would think a hellfire missile had landed bang in the middle of the cabin, as opposed to the presence of one thirteen year old boy. Hawke sighed as he looked around his once solitary retreat, and as his gaze alighted on his faithful hound, Tet cocked his head and let out a mournful whine at the sullen expression that crossed his masters face.

"Yeah"

A thump from upstairs pulled Hawke from his reverie, and pushing himself to his feet, he crossed the living room to the foot of the new stairwell that served the upstairs extension to the cabin.

"Half-Pint!" He yelled "Would ya get down here! I gotta be at the hangar in-" he checked his watch "Half an hour!"

Hawke waited and listened for any sound from the new bedrooms.

"Half-Pint!"

"Just a minute Uncle String!" Came a muffled reply.

Hawke muttered under his breath. The stunt started in twenty minutes and even flying at Mach one, he'd never make it in time. He'd worked with the studio director before, and patience wasn't one of his virtues.

"Le-"

Hawke paused as his nephew bounded down the stairs, his oversized rucksack hanging from one shoulder. Hawke took in the youngsters appearance. His usually floppy, dark hair was neatly combed to the side with what looked like half a tub of hair wax, and his maroon school blazer neatly ironed and pressed. The fact that he even had it on was a miracle in itself.

"You ready, Uncle String?" He asked nonchalantly, jumping down the last two stairs. Hawke's blue eyes narrowed on the young Amerasian as he strolled casually past his bristling uncle.

"Yeah. For the last hour. What took you so long?" Hawke asked as he opened the door and grabbed his flight jacket off the peg.

" Stuff" Le replied vaguely, taking a step outside the cabin.

"Wait-"

Le felt a strong hand on his shoulder, halting him in the cabin doorway. Hawke ducked his head and leaned in closer to Le. The teenager squeezed his eyes closed and held his breath as his uncle straightened, not seeing the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Is that cologne?"

Hawke wondered vaguely where his Drakkar Noir had disappeared to.

Hawke quickly wiped the smile from his face as Le turned and pinned Hawke with a glare to rival one of his uncles.

"Can we just go, Uncle String?"

Hawke shrugged his shoulders and closed the cabin door behind him.

"Sure"

"Great" Le replied under his breath as Hawke shrugged on his jacket and followed his nephew to the white jet ranger waiting on the dock.

"Hey! Half -Pint!"

Le pulled the cockpit door open an inch as Hawke joined him at the chopper. Hawke leaned towards his nephew, his piercing blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Are ya gonna tell me her name?"

Le's dark eyes flashed angrily, and without another word he pulled himself into the cockpit and slammed the door. Le watched through the window as his grinning uncle rounded the front of the chopper and folded his arms defiantly across his chest. This was going to be a long flight.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA

Conversations about Caitlin...

Stringfellow Hawke resisted the urge to smile as he glanced across at his nephew in the co pilots seat. He sat in his seat, ramrod straight, resolutely looking anywhere but at the pilot. Not a word had passed his lips for almost the entire flight, and clearly his own propensity for brooding and long silences had rubbed off on his nephew.

Hawke turned his attention back to the sky as a small voice crackled through the headset.

"Hey, Uncle String?"

Hawke glanced across at Le.

"Yeah?"

"Are Cait and uncle Dom coming to the cabin tonight after my soccer game?"

"Nah. Not tonight" Hawke replied "Why?"

Le shifted his small frame and twisted round in his seat to face Hawke.

"I really wanna show Cait my experiment for the science fair next week" Le chattered excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the mention of the female pilot. "She promised she'd help me and she's got this really cool idea..."

A warmth encompassed Hawke as he listened to his nephew talk excitedly about the pretty, red headed pilot who had dropped into his life almost four years ago. She'd surreptitiously wormed her way past his defences and into his life like she'd always been there, and if he was honest, he couldn't really remember life before she arrived. She'd been a godsend since he'd taken on Le, watching him at a moments notice when Hawke couldn't be around and all without complaint. Hawke had no idea how he would've managed without her.

"So, what do you think?"

Jarred from his thoughts, Hawke stared vacantly across at his nephew

"Huh? About what?"

"Cait!" Le exclaimed, almost jumping out of his seat "Will you ask her?"

Hawke returned his eyes to the sky in front, gripping the cyclic a little tighter.

"Cait probably has plans-"

Le leaned back into his seat as a sly grin spread across his face.

"She'll come if you ask her"

Hawke shifted in his seat and scowled.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll talk to Cait-"

Le punched the air triumphantly as Hawkes lips twisted into a grin

" IF you give me her name"

The ecstatic grin quickly slipped from Le's face and he slumped back into his seat, his arms crossed defiantly across his chest.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Promises are hard to keep...

"You are coming to my soccer game this afternoon?" Le Van Hawke's dark eyes narrowed accusingly on the pilot as they stood at the gates of the Nuys Academy. Hawke glanced over Le's shoulder as a sea of green and maroon trooped past the pair, and through the large, wrought iron gates that led to the sprawling mansion that was the Nuys Academy, and suddenly remembered why he left school duty mainly to Cait. They moved aside as a large four by four turned into the gravel driveway.

"I'll be there"

Le's eyes dropped to the floor as he scuffed the stones with his school shoes.

"That's what you said last time"

Hawke winced as though he'd been slapped. The missed karate tournament last week was still weighing heavily on his mind, and he knew he had to find someway of making it up to him.

"Hey-"

Hawke placed his hands on Le's shoulders and turned the boy to face him. Le kept his eyes resolutely on the ground.

"Le-"

Hawke caught Le's chin with his hand, nudging it slightly so that Le's gaze met his.

"I promise"

Hawke pulled the teenager into a hug and wondered for the millionth time how he was going to make this all work.

"I better go" Le murmured as he pulled out of Hawke's embrace "I'll see ya later"

Hawke watched as Le joined a group of classmates and trudged through the open gates. Hooking his sunglasses over his ears, Hawke made his way back to the familiar red, white and blue jeep parked on the corner and swung himself inside. Hawke folded his arms across the steering wheel as a group of older girls in Academy uniform, strolled arm in arm towards the gates, deep in conversation. The middle of the group, the only blonde, her hair scraped back into a pony tail, laughed at her friends joke, her striking blue eyes widening as she whispered into her friends ear. Le glanced up and stopped as the group approached, seemingly mesmerised by the sight in front of him. Hawke rested his chin on his arms and watched intently as the blonde glanced in Le's direction and flashed him a half smile as her group continued on through the gates. Le stumbled forward as his friend Billy slapped him on the shoulder and dragged him inside.

Hawke grinned as he released the handbrake and merged into the California traffic.


	3. Chapter 3

The movie lot for the new Paramount motion picture was a hive of activity. Lighting guys perched precariously on top of their ladders, adjusting he angle of their huge, heavy equipment. A harried runner bustled past the Santini Air trailer and knocked forcefully on the trailer across the lot, barking something about make up and hair through the closed metal door. Bellisarius had promised stars for the Lead roles, and it had been billed as the box office smash of the year.

Dominic Santini harrumphed emphatically as he paced up and down outside the Santini Air trailer, suddenly becoming acutely aware of the director yelling out across the set.

"Of all the low down-"

"Dom!" Dom glanced round at the trailer at the sound of the familiar Texan drawl, and the slender form of Caitlin O'Shannessy, the pretty third member of the Airwolf crew, appeared in the doorway.

"Would you quit pacing around?" She admonished as she shrugged on the lurid green jacket that that accounted for half her costume for the scene. As she turned up the sleeves, she stopped and glanced up at Dom who had promptly resumed his pacing at the front of the trailer.

"What has got you so darn fired up anyways?" Caitlin asked, her brows knitting together in a frown. As soon as the words had left her mouth, she instantly regretted it. The older man swivelled on his heel and turned to face the red head, the famous Santini glare set across his craggy features.

"I said nine o clock!" Dom bellowed, prompting a small smile from Cait. "Not ten, not eleven-" Dom leaned towards Cait and ticked them off one by one on his fingers "Nine!"

Cait untucked her hair, the vibrant red softened by the California sun, out of the collar of her jacket and allowed it to flow loosely around her shoulders.

"So?" She answered with a mock teasing tone

"SO?" Dom repeated, his voice rising an octave " I'm here, you're here"

He gestured towards Cait and jammed his meaty hands on his hips

"So where the hell is String?!"

Cait bit her bottom lip and quickly covered her mouth with her hand as she fought to smother a giggle

Dom's bushy eyebrows fell as he kept his gaze firmly fixed on the pilot.

"So you think this is funny, huh?" Dom groused, as he whipped off his red satin baseball cap and smoothed out the grey wispy curls underneath. "I figured you'd take his side. I'll tell you one thing, missy-"

"He'll be here, Dom" Cait assured him, watching as he jammed his cap back on. "Even if he is a little late"

Dom stopped pacing and looked over his shoulder at the woman he thought of as a daughter. She always knew how to wrap him around her little finger.

"Mnnnnnnnnn" Dom grumbled as Cait flashed him a smile he never could resist. Hawke was safe. For now.

Dom rolled his eyes at the sight of the movie director striding across the lot and brought his palms together in silent prayer.

"Mamma Mia!" He mumbled, before breaking into a wide gap tooth grin and striding off open armed towards the approaching director.

"Victor!"

Cait watched as Dom slapped Vic on the shoulder in greeting, and lead him off towards the set. Cait sighed. This was the third time String had been late this week, and they were in danger of losing the contract. Doms livelihood was at stake and String had been so caught up caring for Le and flying Airwolf missions for the FIRM, he hadn't seen what was happening closer to home. Paramount had asked for Hawke personally and the director Victor Kinson didn't suffer tardiness gladly. Yesterday evening , when they were enjoying a moments peace by the lake at the cabin, Hawke had insisted he take Le to school, a duty usually assigned to Cait. Whilst she usually managed the trip in good time, arriving at the hangar slightly before nine, Hawke seemed to have a problem with organisation. Cait smiled as her thoughts turned to the pilot. A brilliant strategist outdone by a teenage boy. Shaking her head at the thought, Cait turned up her collar and strode off across the lot.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke turned the jeep into a parking spot at the movie set and killed the ignition. He remained in his seat, watching through the windshield at Dom and Cait deep in discussion with the director. The wind was picking up, which would make the tricky stunt even more dangerous. His thoughts turned to Le, and what would happen to the boy, should anything happen to him whilst on a mission or during a movie stunt. Could he really let Le lose yet another parent? And with the nature of his work with the FIRM and Santini Air, that was an infinite possibility.

A warmth encompassed Hawke as his gaze alighted on Cait, his eyes travelling up her shapely denham clad thigh. She pushed aside the hair from her face and took a step closer to Dom, who was still in an animated discussion with the director. He couldn't imagine his life without this family he'd cobbled together, and if he was truthful, without The Lady. With an increasing sense of unease weighing heavily on his chest, Hawke quickly exited the jeep, and made his way across the movie set to accept his fate.

"I'm tellin'ya, Vic.. You asked for two choppers! Not three!. What do you think I am? An Airline?"

Cait's face lit up as she scraped her windswept hair away from her face.

"Y'know, Dom, we do have the Huey we used in that commercial last month-"

Dom turned and glared at Cait, and her eyes dropped to the floor.

"Now, Dominic, we have a contract don't we?" Victor replied, flashing Dom a set of pearly white teeth.

"Why, yes we do" Dominic replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm

"And you wouldn't want to go back on that contract, now would you?"

Dom puffed out his expansive chest

"Well I wouldn't-"

"Great!" Victor enthused, spreading his arms " I'm happy were all on board." He clapped his hands together causing Cait to flinch. "Now, if you would be so good as to tell me when Hawke's finally here, then maybe we can get down to business, huh? We're on a tight schedule' my friends!"

Victors eyebrows shot up as he surveyed the pilots in front of him. Dom stole a glance at Cait, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"He's here "

The deep, gravel tone caused three heads to snap up, and Doms eyes widened as Hawke approached the trio. A smile ghosted Victors lips as he looked the pilot up and down, his eyes travelling over his dishevelled appearance.

"Hey, hotshot... Nice of you to join us" Victor said, his eyes dancing with amusement at Hawke's creased and untucked plaid shirt.

"Now you're all accounted for, we'll start in five, and pleaaaase do your stunts in one take?"

Hawke replied with a curt nod

"Bless you" Victor replied, clasping his hands together. "Okay! Places people!" He yelled as he skipped away across the set.

""Late again, Hawke?" Cait smiled, as she stepped towards him and adjusted his shirt collar, turning it down over his sweater and smoothing her fingers across the material. "You're making it a bit of a habit"

Hawke pulled off his aviators and caught her gaze, smiling at the warmth in her eyes.

"Well, I thought being a hotshot pilot, the boss would cut me some slack"

Dom's mouth dropped open as he glanced between the pair.

"Hotshot pi- where the helluv'ya been?" Dom bellowed, striding towards Hawke" I said nine o clock!"

Suddenly aware of his proximity, Hawke took a step away from Cait and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Around" Hawke gestured vaguely with his sunglasses. "Sorry, Dom. Guess I just lost track of time"

Dom's expression softened as he took in the appearance of his surrogate son. Taking in Le had affected all of them, but Dom was glad Hawke had Cait watching his back. He hadn't mentioned anything to String or Caitlin, but he was tired. Physically and mentally he was completely and utterly exhausted. Michael had arranged for him to see a FIRM doctor first thing Monday morning, and he was determined to keep it to himself.

"Ah, well. No harm done. Let's all just..get back to business, huh?"

Dom replied, waving his hand over his shoulder. Hawke and Cait stood side by side and watched as the blue jacket and red satin baseball cap vanished into the myriad of cast and crew.

" Is Dom okay?" Cait asked suddenly, looking up at String.

"He's okay" String confirmed, glancing up in Dom's direction just to make sure. "Why?"

Cait shrugged a shoulder and adjusted her ill-fitting jacket

"He seems-" she paused as she searched for the right word. " Sad. Tired?" She looked up into his piercing blue eyes

"Tell me he's okay"

Hawke rested his hands on Caits shoulders and massaged them gently with his thumbs

"He's fine" Hawke assured, attempting to conceal his own burgeoning worry. Cait held Hawkes gaze for a moment, searching his eyes with her own. Behind that impassive mask, she could tell Hawke was just as worried about Dom as she was. Cait bit her bottom lip and nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"Hey"

Hawke nudged Caits chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him. His other hand lingered on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"He's okay" Hawke repeated. A small smile tugged at Caits lips, and she nodded firmly.

"Talking of Dom, we better go, before he blows a gasket" Cait grinned, as they turned and walked side by side towards the set, falling into easy conversation about the stunt. They'd almost reached the set, when a feeling of unease that he couldn't quite explain, suddenly washed over the pilot. Falling into silence, Hawke hooked his aviators over his ears as they came to a halt beside the camera crew.

"Somethin' botherin' you, Hawke?" Cait asked with a small smile.

Hawke jammed his hands into his jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"Le's been going on about that science fair of his" Hawke said, finally finding his voice.

"Yeah, he really had some great ideas"

"He'd really like you to come up to the cabin. He wants to show you some experiment he's designed-"

Caits eyes danced with amusement at Hawkes obvious discomfort. She was determined to enjoy this.

"Oh" she nodded

"Only if you don't already have plans-" Hawke added quickly as he gestured towards Cait, his voice trailing away as a frown creased his brow. He was perturbed by Caits silence. Normally she jumped at the chance to go to the cabin, and she'd been there regularly over the last few weeks.

"Sure, Why not" Cait replied, with a shrug.

String let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"Beats a night in with my tax returns"

Cait crinkled her nose at the thought. Hawke stifled a chuckle and took a sharp breath in as he suddenly thought how beautiful she looked at that moment. The fleeting thought disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived.

"Great. We can head up after the stunt" Hawke said as he slipped his arm round Caits shoulders.

"You know, I even saw a pregnant doe last week-"

Cait stopped and turned to face him, Hawkes' strong hands falling to her hips.

"Oh no you don't, Stringfellow Hawke" Cait scolded as she jabbed him in the chest with her finger. "Spinning me a line like that "

The deep Texan drawl emphasised the last few words and taken aback, Hawkes hands dropped to his side and he took a step back.

"What line?"

Cait's annoyance quickly dissipated as she saw the look of pure innocence in his eyes.

"As if you don't know" she smiled, whacking him playfully in the chest. "Let's go flyboy, else Dom'll have our hides"

Watching through a gap in the crowd, Dominic Santini broke into a wide, gap tooth grin.


	4. Chapter 4

The last, pale rays of the late afternoon California sun streamed across Van Nuys Airport, basking the Santini Air hangar in a warm, yellowish glow.

Dominic Santini grunted and shifted position above the Jet Ranger as he fought to loosen a stubborn bolt. The stunt earlier in the day had gone more or less to plan, and they were using their free time to catch up with some much needed maintenance on the Jet Ranger.

His mind wandered to the scene he'd witnessed that morning between String and Cait, and his heart warmed. Cait had been helping out a lot with Le, and had been a fixture at the cabin almost every other day.

String even seemed to enjoy having her around, which ,for someone that spent their life running from people, was progress in itself. String deserved to be happy, and Dom was resolute in the thought that Cait was the one that could make him happy. Whether he liked it or not, Hawke needed her, and maybe now with his failing health, it was time for a shove in the right direction. Pushing his impending Doctors appointment to the back of his mind, Dom cleared his throat.

"Pretty evening"

"W-hat?" Hawke grunted from his position beaneath the belly of the ranger.

"I said-" Dom continued, raising his voice. "Ah, never mind. Would ya get out here!"

Almost instantly, Hawke rolled out on the trolley from underneath the chopper, a wrench clasped firmly in his hand.

"What is it Dom?!" He growled, glaring up at his mentor who leaned over the tail. "I'm trying to get this hunk of junk fixed before sundown!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I keepin' you from something?" Dom asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Nothin' you need worry about" Hawke muttered, turning his attention back to the job in hand. He rolled back under the ranger as his thoughts drifted back to the red headed pilot. She was due back any minute with her latest student

"That so." Dom mused, raising his eyebrows. Choosing his words carefully, he pushed with all of his weight against the bolt.

"It wouldn't be a weekend at the cabin with a certain red head, huh?"

Underneath the ranger, Hawke paused and carefully considered his response. If he denied it, it would only serve to make Dom ten times worse with his misplaced matchmaking.

"Maybe" he replied irritably, thumping the wrench against the fuel line.

Doms eyes glittered with mirth

"A date?"

Hawke dropped the wrench to the floor with a clatter, and pushed himself out from beneath the Ranger.

"No." Hawke scowled, still flat on his back "definitely NOT a date "

Dom folded his arms across the tail and nodded, the corners of his lips curling into a grin

"If you say so. But I gotta say, you kids've been spending an awful lotta time together lately" Dom continued, working his way down the ladder. "Hell, I was only at the cabin the other day and she was doing your laundry..." A bark of laughter came from the bottom of the ladder as Hawkes icy blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"What's your point, Dom?"

Dom paused at the bottom of the ladder.

"All I'm saying is, you won't find a better lady than Cait. " mused Dom as he reached into the tool box "Maybe you need to open up those eyes of yours"

Hawke sighed heavily as his gaze dropped to the oily rag he was using to wipe his hands.

"Let it go, Dom-"

His tone was almost pleading "She's just a kid"

Hawke sighed heavily and tossed the rag on the floor.

Doms head snapped up at the pilots reply, his hand hovering above the tool box. His expression suddenly darkened as his anger bubbled to the surface.

Dominic Santinis ' grey, bushy eyebrows practically covered his eyes as he frowned at his friend.

"Now, listen here, String, and you listen good" Dom roared, waving a coupling wrench menacingly. Hawke averted his eyes away from the older man, and jabbed at the floor with his screwdriver.

"Caitlin is no kid. Ah, hell! Even you should know that by now, even with that hard head of yours!"

The pilots voice boomed around the hangar, and Hawke suddenly found a spot of grease on the floor very appealing.

Doms gaze softened as he saw Strings own inner battle over his feelings for Cait. He was more transparent than he realised. Dom sighed, wishing he could bash the couples heads together, and make them see what was right in front of them.

"All I'm saying is kid, I'm not gonna be around forever-"

Strings gaze snapped up at Dom's seemingly trivial comment, as his worry slowly began to resurface

"And you can't spend your entire life holed up at that mountain of yours!"

"I know it" Hawke agreed with a resigned sigh

"...String?"

Hawke met Doms gaze, his eyes pleading with Dom not to push this any further. He'd deal with it in his own time, in his own way. Dom opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly from outside the hangar, a sound teased the edge of Hawkes sensitive hearing.

"We've got company"

Raising an eyebrow, Dom followed String to the entrance of the hangar, just as the familiar white limo rounded the corner and came to a stop outside.

"I tell you, kid-" Dom thought aloud, shaking his head. "I still don't know how you do that"

Hawke glanced across at Dom as the drivers door opened, and the long, white-clad legs of Archangels latest beautiful, blonde aide, swept gracefully out of the car.

Dom leaned towards String as she rounded the front of the limo and whistled approvingly through his teeth,

"Where'd Archangel find that one, huh?"

They exchanged a smile as Michael, dressed immaculately as usual in his white three piece suit, exited the limo and limped heavily towards the men.

"Why, good morning Michael" Dom greeted with a sweet smile.

"Dominic, Hawke. I hope I haven't come at a bad time ?"

The sour look on Hawkes face told him he'd done just that.

"Make it quick, Michael" Hawke bit out as he turned and stalked back into the hangar, his mind, for the time being, completely elsewhere. Watching the sullen pilots retreating form, Michael glanced across at Dom and raised his eyebrow quizzically. Dom shrugged a shoulder, indicating to the white clad spy he had no idea the reason behind Hawkes' sudden inhospitable mood.

"Fine. I don't have the time for pleasantries, anyway" Michael replied, as he and Dom followed Hawke inside. "I'll get to the point"

"Huh. That'll be a first" Dom muttered under his breath.

Ignoring the comment, Michael took a Manila folder bearing the FIRMs logo from his aide and handed it Hawke, only to be met with a pair of coverall clad legs as he rolled back underneath the belly of the Jet Ranger.

Michael gritted his teeth in an attempt to stifle his growing annoyance. Even at the best of times, Hawke could be difficult, but it was apparent today, he'd surpassed even himself.

"At oh three hundred yesterday, a small ,tactical assault team infiltrated the largest drugs smuggling operation and extortion racket this side of the East Coast" Michael began, directing the briefing towards Dom. A loud bang emanated from underneath the jet ranger as Hawke threw a hammer back in the tool box.

Oblivious to the disturbance, Dom leafed through the pages of the file and stopped as he came to a grainy, black and white photograph. He studied the two men in the photo, who appeared to be shaking hands.

"Hey-" Dom jabbed his finger at the older man in the photo. "Isn't he that industrialist guy I saw on the news?" He asked, looking up at Michael.

Michael nodded

"Sam Cullen" Michael confirmed "a hard nosed, self made millionaire, and a real piece of work"

He tapped his cane on the floor thoughtfully as Dom snapped the file closed.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are the FIRM interested in a run of the mill extortion racket?"

"The FIRM had recently-" Michael broke off as a loud clanging echoed round the hangar, and as he stared down at the source of the noise, a small frown creased the spy's brow. Hawke hammered the wrench hard against the belly of the Jet Ranger, seemingly oblivious to the proceedings above.

"RECENTLY RECEIVED INTELLIGENCE THAT CULLEN WAS SELLING ASSAULT WEAPONS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER" Michael continued, raising his voice above the noise.

"Oh?" Dom raised his eyebrows, sensing there was more to this than Michael was letting on.

"Three nights ago, a weapon and ammunition developed by the FIRM , was stolen from a highly classified, government installation-" Michael sighed inwardly with relief as the banging finally stopped and he was able to return his voice back to a normal volume

" By someone within Cullens organisation that was providing information to the FIRM-"

A bark of laughter stopped Michael short.

"You guys sure have a problem holding onto highly classified equipment!"

Michael adjusted his wire rimmed glasses.

"Indeed" he commented wryly.

"So these guys you sent in after him-"

"Three men. " Michael indicated on his fingers "they never checked in"

"And you want us.." Dom began, gesturing at Hawke "to go in and...and find out what happened?"

"Exactly"

"Ah, I dunno, Michael" Dom replied, waving his hand at the spy. "If this weapon is as top secret as you say it is, then why-"

"Didn't I use Airwolf?" Michael finished as he raised his eyebrows.

The question hung starkly in the air between the two men, and with his interest piqued, Hawke slowly rolled out from beneath the Jet Ranger.

"The weapon was still in the developmental stage, and had yet to be tested to its full capability" he explained, his gaze alighting on Hawke. "I didn't want to put Airwolf at risk unless ABSOLUTELY necessary"

"At risk from what?"

Hawke spoke for the first time since Michael had begun the briefing. The gruff tone had Michael shifting awkwardly on the spot, and he rubbed his temple with the silver handle of his cane, as he considered his answer.

Hawke pushed himself to his feet and glanced over at Dom whose dark expression had him turning back to the spy. Dom folded his arms resolutely across his chest.

"You sure as hell better level with me, Michael, or I'm walking straight-"

"Alright, alright"

Archangel straightened his posture and squared his shoulders, preparing for the onslaught he knew was about to come his way.

"The F-400, the largest calibre rifle ever built" Michael explained as Hawke and Dom exchanged a glance."It takes a .950 caliber round, 2400 grains and is propelled by 240 grains of powder, and was developed exclusively for the military"

"Impressive" Dom mused "but still no match for The Lady"

Michael held his breath

"The rounds are armour piercing-"

Dominic unfurled his arms and stared open mouthed at Hawke

"Even up against the Lady?" Hawke asked, snatching up the file from the bench and rapidly scanning the contents

"I don't care to find out- but I'm out of options, gentlemen"

Hawke closed the file and glared at the spy.

"And you want us to do what, exactly? "Hawke asked "Apart from dodge bullets that may, or may not blow us straight to hell, looking for some mole that's jumped froggy on you-"

"And if you can, find out what he knows and bring him in for questioning!"

"Hmmmpfff" Dom harrumphed, rolling his eyes "looking for a mole that doesn't want to be found? Piece of cake!"

Hawkes lips twisted into a grin at the jibe.

"Dammit Dominic! This isn't some stunt in a movie!" Michael spluttered, his one good eye flashing angrily. Hawke and Dom glanced at each other, slightly taken aback at the spy's uncharacteristic outburst .

"I haven't got time to verbally fence with you! This is a national priority! "

Michael glared at Hawke as he turned his back to the spy and made his way across the hangar to the coffee percolator.

"It always is" he muttered under his breath

Michael watched as Hawke poured the muddy, brown liquid into a mug and grimaced at t he sight.

"Hawke, if this weapon falls into the wrong hands, the repercussions at the FIRM would be exceptional."Michael mused thoughtfully, as Hawke perched on the edge of the bench "there'd be an investigation, and half of the committee would be up on some heavy charges!"

Hawke took a sip of his coffee and surveyed the spy over the rim of his mug.

"That's a shame"

A wry smile crossed Michaels tanned features, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth

"A top secret, highly dangerous, multi million dollar piece of military weaponry, capable of disabling Airwolf permanently, is currently in the hands of probably the most notorious crime syndicate on the East Coast, and your-" Michael indicated , pointing his cane in Hawkes direction "classification of the problem is 'shame'"

Hawke hid his widenening smile behind his mug.

"Your mastery of silence is only exceeded by your facility at understatement, and both astound me, even after all these years, Hawke " Michael said with a shake of his head.

"Why, thank you"

Hawke placed his mug on the bench and sighed

"What do you need from us, Michael?"

Laura produced a CD from the inside of her flight suit.

"Cullen owns a few small holdings in Pennsylvania under an assumed name" Laura explained.

"Perfect place to stash a stolen weapon"

Hawke commented, earning a nod off agreement from Dom

"All the information you need is on this disc which is compatible with Airwolfs computers " she explained, handing it to Hawke. "The coordinates of Cullens holdings are contained within the disc. We need to to go in and find out what happened to those men"

Hawkes eyes widened as he caught sight of the solitary tear that rolled down her cheek. She quickly swiped it away as she regained her composure

"One of them was my brother"

"And a good friend to the FIRM" Michael added, stealing Hawkes attention away from the blonde.

"CIA?"

Michael gave a brief nod

"Covert ops." He said sadly. " They were good men"

The group retreated into silence as they all pondered the enormity of the situation. Hawke bowed his head sadly as thoughts of Saint John permeated his mind and he knew all too well the pain and grief of losing a loved one. It was permanently seared across his heart. After several, long minutes, Michaels voice finally broke the sombre silence.

"I need you in the air as soon as humanly possible"

"Well, sure" Dom replied, gesturing to Hawke "just as soon as head to Le's soccer game, right, String?"

Dom raised his bushy eyebrows, fervently hoping Hawke would follow his lead.

Michael placed his hand on Hawkes shoulder and lead the pilot towards the office. They stopped short of the door, and turned to face each other.

"I can't press upon you enough the urgency of this mission, Hawke" With a heavy sigh, Hawke glanced across the hangar at Dom, feeling any last, waning hope of keeping his promise to the people he loved, vanish through his fingertips

"Fine." Hawke replied gruffly " Whatever you want, Michael"

Dom rolled his eyes and silently gestured heavenwards as Michael brushed past him and triumphantly made his way back across the hangar.

"I appreciate it. Oh and Hawke-"

The spy stopped as he and Laura reached the door and turned to face the Airwolf crew, catching the icy blast of Hawkes' gaze across the hangar.

"Come back in one piece"

A smile tugged at the corner of Hawkes' lips

"We always do, Michael"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

"Come back in one piece?!" Dominic Santini bellowed, gesturing animatedly as he paced around the hangar. He finally came to a halt, and wagged his meaty finger in Hawkes' direction "I'm telling you, String, I don't like this one, little bit"

Staring out across the Tarmac through the open hangar door, watching the last, pale rays of the afternoon sun fade into the distance, Stringfellow Hawke shifted his position on the workbench and rested his arm across his knee.

"Me either, Dom." He replied, deep in thought.

"And what about Caitlin?" Dom asked, jamming his hands onto his hips. "And Le's soccer game, huh?"

Hawke glanced over his shoulder at the older man, and turned back to look out across the Tarmac, the burden of a broken promise weighing heavily on his shoulders.

"They'll understand"

"You hope" Dom scolded "it's not the first time you've let that kid down. And Cait, well she's got a heart as big as Texas."

Hawke sighed

"I'll make it up to them, Dom"

"Hmmpffff. You just make sure you do, otherwise Cait'll kick your six right into next Tuesday!"

Hawke chuckled prompting Dom to break into a wide grin

"I know she will" Hawke smiled as he pushed himself to his feet

"C'mon, Dom. Let's go get the Lady. We'll radio Cait from the air" Hawke slapped his mentor on the shoulder, and the two men walked side by side out of the hangar, closing the door behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

Caitlin O' Shannessy shielded her eyes from the fading sun as she jogged across the Tarmac towards the Santini Air hangar. Cait had spent the entire hour of the lesson, trying to convince her student that a fear of confined spaces probably wasn't conducive to getting a pilots licence in the grand scheme of things.

She lowered her hand as she caught sight Hawkes motorcycle parked in its usual spot outside the hangar, but was more troubled by the notable absence of familiar the red, white and blue jeep. Her brow furrowed as she pushed open the door and surveyed the deserted hangar.

"Guys?"

Her Texan twang echoed round the empty hangar.

"Hawke?!" She called as she walked past the downed set of tools and pushed open the door to the office.

"Dom?!"

She exited through the other door and shoved her hands against her narrow hips.

"You could've at least left a note" she grumbled to herself. Her eyes snapped up as the radio crackled to life.

"Caitlin. Come in. This is Hawke. "

Cait sprinted across the hangar and snatched up the receiver.

"Cait, do you read me?"

"I read ya Hawke" Caitlin answered, breathing a little heavily from her 50 yard dash. She peeled an errant strand of strawberry blonde hair away from her eyes and frowned. " Where are you guys?"

"Somewhere across the Pacific Ocean" came the gruff reply.

"The Pacific oc- Hawke, why?"

"It's a long story." The radio crackled with silence before Hawke spoke again "Cait, I need you do something for me"

"Sure, Hawke. Anything you need." She paused, and with a sinking heart she spoke slowly and carefully into the receiver "Is Dom with you?"

"I'm here, honey" Dom answered, confirming Caitlin's suspicions. They were on a mission.

"Are you guys alright?" Cait asked, wide eyed as her heart hammered against her chest. "You're not in any kinda trouble? If you need me to call Michael, I -" the words tumbled from her mouth, and she paused, trying to catch her breath.

Hawkes ice blue eyes betrayed the smile currently concealed by the large, heavy helmet

"We're fine"

Cait closed her eyes and placed her palm against her chest as she sighed with relief. Hawke seemed to have a habit of walking headlong into trouble. Opening her eyes, Cait spoke into the receiver.

"What do you need? "

"I need you watch Le tonight." Hawke replied, a tinge of regret lacing his every word.

"Sure, I can do that. You know I love spending time with Le. But Hawke, what about his soccer game?"

From his position inside the cockpit of Airwolf, Hawke shifted in his seat and gripped the cyclic a little tighter. His deep sigh crackled through the headset and Dom bowed his head.

"Tell Half- Pint I'm sorry. And I'll make it up to him-"

"Sure. No problem" Cait murmured, her reply barely audible as she fought to surpress her blossoming disappointment

"To both of you"

Caits breath hitched in her chest at Hawkes reply, and a small smile played across her lips

"I know you will"

There was a moment of silence, and Cait almost thought she'd lost contact, when Hawke spoke again.

"Cait? ...Thanks. For everything"

Cait warmed at his open display of gratitude.

"Anytime." She replied. "Oh and guys? Wherever it is your going...Please be careful"

"We will. Hawke out."

"Out" Cait murmured as she replaced the receiver. Deciding that worrying about them would do her no good, she grabbed her bag and keys and hurried out to her car, hoping she'd make it through the early evening Californian traffic, in time for Le's game.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

"Well, I've got to hand it to Archangel. He's sure pulled out all the stops on this one" Dominic mused from the engineers console of Airwolf. "Hey, String! You really think this guy could be a mole?"

It was only when he was met with a stony silence, Dominic realised he'd been talking to himself for the entire flight.

"Earth to String!"

Hawke glanced over his shoulder at the older man, and through the open visor, Dom could see Hawke's familiar, perpetual scowl.

"I heard you the first time, Dom" Hawke responded gruffly as he turned his attention back to the sky.

"Ok, out with it" Dom demanded, a frown creasing his brow.

"Out with what?"

"Whatever it is that's got you so antsy"

"Antsy? That's not a word"

"Don't change the subject" Dom admonished.

Hawkes scowl slowly faded, and was replaced by the impassive mask he usually wore.

A sigh crackled through the headset

"It's nothing"

" Well it's obviously something ...Is it Cait? Have you upset her?" Dominic frowned, fully aware of Hawkes propensity to bicker with the red headed pilot.

"No" Hawke bit out defensively. He glanced over his shoulder and shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Why? Did she say something?"

"No" Dom replied cheerily "but you might as well tell me and get it over with."

Hawke scowled and turned his eyes back to the sky.

"I was thinking about Le's soccer game"

"It couldn't be helped, String" Dom replied softly. "Le knows that. He's a pretty smart kid."

"Yeah"

"And besides, Caitlin's there" Dom continued, smiling slightly at Hawkes understated agreement. "You'll make it up to them"

"I made that kid a promise, Dom" Hawke replied, his blue eyes glazing over "and I gotta find some way of keeping it"

Dom nodded

"You will"

Hawke retreated into silence as they flew the rest of the way to Pennsylvania. If he was honest, it wasn't just his broken promise that was bothering him. He had no idea what he would've done without Caits help these last few weeks, and her willingness to step in when he couldn't be around, like attending Le's karate tournament last week, and his soccer game this afternoon, and had done it all without a single complaint. He had to find someway of paying her back, letting her know he appreciated everything she'd done for him and Le. He thought back to the first time he'd met her, saving her from Bogards goons in Pope County, Texas. He'd fallen instantly in- like with her.. He admired her feistiness, her dermination to do what was right, and she could certainly handle herself, accomplished in hand to hand, and had saved his life on more than one ocassion.

When she'd showed up at Santini Air, instead of pushing her away like he did to everyone he loved, or might love, he drew her deeper into his circle, even training her in Airwolf.

'That was to get Michael out of East Berlin ' he'd told himself over and over. He and Dom had both been injured in a stunt, and were forced to bring Cait onto the team in order to get him out. She'd slipped easily into his life, like she'd always been there, and wormed her way past the defences he'd spent years building around his fragile heart.

'Maybe she'd settle for dinner and a weekend at the cabin'

Hawke thought to himself as he adjusted Airwolfs course.

Dominic's voice through the headset roused Hawke from his thoughts

"We're coming up on the warehouse now, String"

"Raise our IR suppressant" Hawke barked almost robotically. "Run a scan for any signs of life down there"

"Scanning"

Dominic studied the matrix scanner as Hawke brought Airwolf in a full circle around the warehouse.

"Nothing down there, String. It's deserted"

A feeling of unease suddenly washed over Hawke as he pulled on the cyclic and Airwolf rose magestically above the trees.

His sixth sense for danger had saved his life more than once, and this was no exception. He had the distinct feeling they were flying straight into an ambush, and there was no option but to play it all out.

"I don't buy it" Hawke muttered "Lets set this thing down in those trees over there. I'm going in on foot."

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke tightened his grip on his gun as he peered around the stack of upturned crates that littered one corner of the warehouse. The sense of unease still hadn't dissipated, and he narrowed his eyes, trying to make out any signs of movement, any shapes, shadows, hidden within the murky darkness.

Suddenly, his eyes widened as his gaze alighted on the far corner of the warehouse. Gripping his gun with both hands, and training it in the direction of his gaze, Hawke crouched down low and stealthily ran across to what had caught his attention.

His stomach swooped as he looked down at the two bodies splayed out on the floor, arms and legs tangled as if they'd been dumped there. He knew instantly they were dead, they'd been shot cleanly through the forehead. Icy blue eyes stared down into cold, flint grey , his eyes were open but unseeing. Hawke lowered his gun and hung his head as he realised this was two thirds of Michaels tactical assault team. They'd arrived too late. His stomach churned at the thought that this could be Dominic or Caitlin... Next time, he could be too late to save them... He quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He had a job to do.

"Well, their troubles are over" he thought to himself, as he gently closed the dead agents eyes for the last time.

A covered heap, laying face down in the far corner caught Hawkes eye, and he was over in a flash, grabbing a handful of Kevlar vest and hauling the prone agent a few inches off the floor.

Laura's brother.

"Dammit!" Hawke cursed, lowering the dead agent back to the floor. He swiped his mouth with the sleeve of his Airwolf uniform and surveyed the devastating loss of life in front of him. Whatever they'd discovered, it had ultimately cost them their lives. Whoever was responsible for the death of these men, Hawke would make them pay. That was one promise he could keep.

"String!"

From the safety of Airwolf, nestled within the trees, Dominic's voice thundered through the warehouse

"You've got company! Five bandits entering the warehouse back entrance! They came from nowhere! Get outta there, String! And make it snappy!"

No sooner had Dom finished, a shot rang out from the back of the warehouse. Hawke ducked as the bullet zinged past, mere inches from his temple. Hawke hit the floor and rolled behind a tower of packing crates, scrabbling with his feet to press his back up against the plastic that covered the crates.

Slowly he peered round, listening for any sound that would give away their location. Suddenly, he caught a flash of movement, he aimed his gun and fired,revelling in the satisfying thud that followed.

Hawke crept out from his hiding place, and made his way down the aisle, his sharp eyes darting into every corner and crevace that a man could possibly hide.

Suddenly , Hawke dived behind a metal shelving unit just as a crack sounded from somewhere to his right. The bullet hit the metal he was using as cover and riccoched harmlessly away. Hawke's jaw tensed as a small sound teased the edge of his hearing and he whirled around, ducking a flailing fist and punching his own into the iron stomach of the burly guy that had attempted to to sneak up unawares.

It barely had any effect.. The guy groaned, and Hawke was rewarded with a right hook to the side of his jaw. Stunned, Hawke staggered backwards, his body slamming into the cold, hard metal of the unit. Ignoring the pain rippling through his side, Hawke quickly regained his feet as the guy approached, and using all of the strength he still possessed, Hawke jumped and delivered a roundhouse kick to his chest, sending him barreling backwards into the wall. He wasn't quick enough to recover as Hawke slammed the handle of his gun onto the back of the guys head , killing him instantly.

Hawke's chest heaved with the exertion, and as he stared down at Cullens henchman, he slipped his hand over his injured ribs, feeling the pain of every single breath he took.

"Dom! " he spluttered into the handheld coms device "Dom! Come in-"

Hawke ducked as another shot rang out, and his eyes widened as a body sailed down from the mezzanine above, landing in a crumpled heap at his feet.

Hawkes eyes snapped up to the upper level, just in time to see a flash of black disappear through a service door

Taking another painful breath, Hawke groaned

"You got to be kidding me!"

His hand still protecting his ribs, Hawke half limped over to a spiral stairwell and soon found himself on the mezzanine. He swallowed hard as he stood in the place the man had fallen. He'd had a clean shot.

Hawke turned and headed towards the open door, his fingers curling tightly around the handle of his gun.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke slid through the gap in the open door and found himself in some sort of boiler room, with a myriad of pipes zigzagging up the wall and intertwining across the ceiling. Hawke held his gun firmly out in front of him and inched his way forward, stepping over a metal pipe that was raised slightly off the floor. A movement caught his eye, and his raised his gun as a figure slipped from the shadows and disappeared behind the opposite wall.

'Tricky' Hawke thought to himself. Suddenly, the figure made a run for it and Hawke got off a shot, which riccoched of a pipe on the ceiling and embedded itself in the wall. Despite the pain, Hawke broke into a run, leaping off a small platform and landing on his desired target. Hawke grunted as they landed in a heap on the floor, and in one swift movement he grabbed the guys gun and pushed himself to his feet, his own gun trained on the man that had eluded him. Their eyes met, and held, seemingly each one agreeing to the terms of war that currently presented itself.

"Woah, woah. Easy" the guy said as he slowly raised his hands.

"I'm on your side, man!"

Hawke took in his attire.. He sure didn't look like one of Cullen's men. He wore a plain black T Shirt and jeans, and it was obvious he worked out, but it was his marksmanship that had piqued Hawke's interest. He'd taken that guy out with a single shot, without drawing fire, or even being seen. That took skill. Hawke had a niggling feeling that he was more than just a FIRM mole. His green eyes were honest, and Hawke wasn't one to trust easily. Whether he liked it or not, this man had saved his life.

"Hands behind your neck!" Hawke bit out, holding his gun firmly out in front of him.

He did as he was told and chuckled to himself.

"Your file was right. You sure don't trust that easily, Stringfellow Hawke"

Dumbfounded, Hawke took a step back and tightened his grip on his gun.

"Who the hell are you?!" He demanded "and why are you trying to kill me"

A smile graced the strangers young, handsome features

"Hey, buddy. As I remember it, you were the one doin' the shooting."

Hawke raised his gun again, aiming straight for his forehead

"Last chance. Who are you?" Hawke scowled, his finger hovering over the trigger "before I send you straight to hell!"

"Ryan O'Connor.. FBI" he replied quickly. With his hands still in the air, he nodded towards his jeans pocket. Hawke crouched down and rifled through the mans pocket and found what he was looking for. Government ID. Special Agent Ryan O' Connor, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hawke tossed the black wallet at his feet and took another step back.

"What the hell do the FBI want with Cullen and his goons?"Hawke asked, growing even more confused as to whether he'd just walked into an ambush, or just traded one of his nine lives. Still on the floor, O'Connor moved, beginning to lower his hands.

" Jeez!" He exclaimed, as Hawke stance stiffened, and thrust his pistol towards the agent. Accepting he'd have to play this out on Hawkes terms, O' Connor raised his hands and rolled his eyes.

"Same as you." His green eyes narrowed as his fingers automatically curled into a fist

"I'm after the asshole that killed my best friend"

His eyes snapped up to Hawke

"Captain John Burns. " he paused. "Laura's brother"

Hawke's head swivelled over his shoulder, remembering the fallen agents back in the warehouse, and almost instantly, a comprehension slammed into him like a freight train.

Hawkes blue eyes narrowed on the young man in front of him.

"Michael sent you?"

The agents expression didn't deny or confirm the accusation, but the vision of the man sailing down from the mezzanine decided in Hawkes mind that Michael definitely had a lot of explaining to do. The unease that seemed to have taken up permanent residence, slowly began to evaporate.

"How do I know you're on the level" Hawke asked, his gun still firmly pointed at O'Connor.

O' Connor had finally run out of patience, and scrambled to his feet, indifferent as to whether Hawke shot him or not.

"Don't you think I could've taken you out back there, while you were busy playing Jackie Chan?"

Hawke lowered his gun and a cocky smile surfaced on the young mans face

"I am a pretty good shot. I never miss"

Finally, Hawke relented and stowed his gun away, allowing the beleaguered agent to stand.


	6. Chapter 6

A burgeoning sense of worry encompassed Caitlin O' Shannessy as her familiar gait strode across the vast grassed football pitches at the rear of the Nuys Academy. They truly were impressive, five magnificent pitches..all a luscious shade of green, set side by side in seven sprawling acres of land that the Academy boasted. The last two, marked out for football, were home to top of the high school league team, Van Nuys Academy. It still never failed to send her mind into a spin about the amount of money String paid termly, to keep Le at the most exclusive school in LA.

She'd befriended a few of the mothers, Elena's husband was a wealthy stockbroker, and with no need to work, she spent her days at every beauty salon and gym, LA had to offer. Miranda was a top defence attorney , and her husband Joel was a plastic surgeon for the rich and famous, a world away from Santini Air and her job as a pilot. To say she felt out of place would be an understatement, yet Ethan and Adam were two of Le's best friends, and Elena's and Miranda had been nothing but welcoming towards her, not even questioning her unusual and complicated relationship she had with Le and his uncle. String was his usual evasive self about the subject of school fees, but he'd let it let it slip one night after a particularly tough mission, and the consumption of several glasses of hideously expensive Chardonnay. He wanted the best for his nephew and who was she to stand in the way.

The early evening breeze had a nip to it, and as the chill began to penetrate the sleeves of her blouse, she pulled her padded jacket tightly around her narrow shoulders.

Her thoughts drifted to Hawke and Dom as she edged her way down the aisle of blue plastic seating, muttering her apologies as she forced the myriad of moms, dads and grandparents that currently occupied the seating area, to stand. She finally reached an empty seat and sunk her weary body onto the uncomfortably hard plastic. She couldn't help her anxiety over the mission the guys had accepted. To take off like they did, not even bothering to tidy the hangar before they left, bothered her more than she cared to admit. It was obviously urgent.

Sure, she knew they could take care of themselves, but she knew better than anybody, one day they might not come back. As she'd grown increasingly closer to Hawke and Le Van over the last few weeks, her anxiety had almost tripled, especially since that, most of the time, they'd left her behind to take care of Le.

The dreams disturbed her the most. Vivid and hauntingly real, every time she closed her eyes at night, she had visions of Airwolf under fire from a sky full of MIGS, ploughing headlong into the side of a mountain. Hawke gunned down in front of her eyes on the simplest of missions.

Gone.

Taken from her before she'd had the chance to love him completely .

Before she'd had the chance to tell him how she felt, even though she knew the feelings weren't reciprocated.

Of course she'd had the merest of signs- A look, a roughly spoken word, the slightest of touches to convince her otherwise, but as soon as they'd appeared, they vanished, as he retreated back into the realms of friendship. His safety net. So much so, that she wondered if it had all been a figment of her imagination. Her sister had always told her if you want something bad enough, then you eventually convince yourself it's true. But she was content with what she had, being a part of Strings life as a friend, part of his family and flying Airwolf.

That was enough.

If she pushed, it would only drive the enigmatic pilot further away. Stringfellow Hawke didn't trust easily, and she truly felt privileged to be included so completely in his life.

But she still couldn't reconcile with the fact that this might be it. One day, they might not come back.

'But not today' she told herself, as a small smile surfaced at the sight of Le in an oversized red and yellow striped jersey, jogging towards the half way line. As long as they stuck by him, String would always have something to come back to.

From across the pitch, Le's dark gaze caught Caits, and she waved enthusiastically in the boys direction. The wide smile slipped from his face as he quickly realised Cait was alone, and his eyes snapped back towards the school, expecting Hawke to walk through the gates at any minute. Caits own smile faded and her heart ached for yet another broken promise.

With a quick glance over his shoulder at his coach, Le jogged across to where Cait sat.

"Cait, you made it!" Le exclaimed, as the red headed pilot enveloped him in a hug. Le quickly wriggled free from her arms, and cast a surreptitious glance over his shoulder to make sure none of his team mates had seen the open display of affection. It just wasn't cool.

"Sure I did" Cait smiled, amused at Le's embarrassment. " I wouldn't miss it"

" Where's Uncle String?" Le asked, his eyes dropping to the floor. "He promised he'd come"

His statement was met with silence, and for once in her life, Cait was truly lost for words.

Suddenly, acutely aware of all the other parents around, Cait squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

" Somethin' came up" she replied, regretfully " Le, I'm sorry"

Le 's expression hardened, a mirror image of his uncles own impassive mask. He shook his head

" Don't be sorry. It's not your fault he broke a promise"

Le bent down and tugged his maroon and yellow soccer socks up to his knees, not wanting Cait to see the tears that pricked at the corner of his eyes.

" You better get back" Cait told him, nodding her head towards his teammates "And how about we get a soda and pizza after, huh?"

Le managed a small smile and nodded.

"It's a deal"

Cait watched as Le jogged back over to his teammates, and a small sigh escaped her lips. Le was getting almost as good as his uncle at hiding his feelings, but she knew him well enough to know he was hurt.

"Hey! Hawke!"

Le glanced round and rolled his eyes as Billy Jackson trotted the few yards that separated them and appeared by his side. Le knew from experience that Billy Jackson rarely had a kind word to say.

"What d'ya want, Billy?" Le asked with a sigh and Billy nodded across the other side of the pitch

"That your mom?"

Le frowned at his teammate

"What? No!" He replied incredulously."She's a friend of my Uncle's"

"Your Aunt?" Billy asked, his green eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Shut up, Billy" Le warned, squaring his shoulders and taking a step closer to his adversary. Billy grinned and backed off, knowing full well Le Van Hawkes proficiency in the martial arts. His gaze travelled back across the pitch, to where the red head wriggled herself into her seat. His grin widened and he nodded in open appreciation.

"She's hot!"

Le's dark eyes narrowed as he levelled a glare on his team mate.

"You're such a jerk" Le muttered as he pushed past him and made his way back over to the striped jerseys that were huddled together in the middle of the pitch.

"Say that again, Chicken Hawke!" Billy yelled at Le's retreating form. Without breaking stride, Le turned and cupped his hands round his lips.

"JERK!"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

In the dank, darkness of the warehouse, Ryan O'Connor slowly crouched down beside the lifeless body of his childhood friend, John Burns.

"I was right there" The agent said with a hoarse whisper. "He gave himself up to protect his men. 'Lotta good that did him" he snorted, his gaze alighting on the other two dead operatives.

String rolled back his shoulders and his roughly spoken words echoed round the warehouse.

"He did what he had to do"

Draping a muscular arm across his knee, O'Connor hung his head and nodded.

"Yeah. I guess he did"

Pushing himself to his feet, O'Connor turned and levelled his gaze on Hawke.

Hawke glanced down at his outstretched hand, and the agent almost winced at the icy blast that met his hazel eyes.

"What?"

"My piece?" O'Connor replied, raising an eyebrow "Or do I still need to convince you that I'm not out to put you in the ground?"

Hawke almost smiled at the rejoinder and reached for O'Connor's gun stowed in the belt of the lilac flight suit. This man intrigued him, and his presence there was more than a coincidence. But what he hadn't quite figured out, was if this man had his own agenda or he really was, as he claimed, on Hawkes side.

"'Til I figure out just what's goin' on here"Hawke gestured with his arm, encompassing the whole room "you give me ANY, just one reason to doubt you, you're as good as dead"

"Wow!" O'Connor replied, the corners of his lips twitching into a grin "You always this intense?"

The agent snatched his gun from Hawkes grasp and meticulously racked the chamber and stowed it safely away in the waistband of his jeans.

O'Connor room a step forward and hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at his fallen comrades. Tears of sadness pricked at the corner of his eyes, as memories of the blistering heat of the jungles and almost freezing to death in the arctic permeated his mind. They had been the elite, Navy Seals, and John Burns had been by his side through it all. He owed the man his life. The mission was simple, and never should've gone down the way it had been planned down to the last intricate detail, Burns and his men would go in first, sterilise the location and he would follow and take possession of the consignment. His gaze hardened as visions of his best friend and two of the best men the CIA and US military had to offer, decorated officers, expert tacticians, walked headlong into a trap. Executed in front of his own eyes, and there was nothing he could do about it, without giving away his own position. Burns had once again saved his life, this time, with the ultimate sacrifice. Hawke showing up when he did had changed things, sow,thing he hadn't planned for, he assumed he'd have more time. The warnings he'd received had proved to be correct. You could never be truly ready for a man like Stringfellow Hawke. The tears that threatened slowly dissipated, and were replaced by a new determination in his honest, green eyes. If nothing else, Hawke could prove to be a valuable asset in bringing his friends murderers to justice. It was clear Hawke didn't trust easily, and he was certainly already suspicious of his presence there. He almost smiled. He'd always thrived on a challenge. Taking a deep breath, O'Connor turned his gaze back to the pilot.

"I don't know 'bout you, but I'm kinda ready to get out of this place" O'Connor mused, wrinkling his nose at the damp, foul smelling air that teased his nostrils. O'Connor brushed past Hawke, using his shoulder as leverage and made his way towards the half open door. Only the monotonous drip, drip, drip from a leak in the ceiling filled the silence that had opened like a the pilot didn't follow, O'Connor hesitated with his palm against the door and swivelled back on his heel, deep, well worn lines creasing his young brow.

"Hawke?"

Hawke's hand slid to his side as he took a tentative step forward, his injured ribs protesting at the extertion. For a split second, it felt as though he'd been hit by a semi. The pain rippled through his side causing every last breath he had to seemingly evaporate from his body. As he fought to catch his breath, he was unable to smother the small groan that emanated from deep at the base of his throat.

"Man, are you hurt?"

Standing up as straight as his bruised ribs would allow, Hawke quickly gathered himself and fixed the agent with a steely glare.

"I'm okay" Hawke bit out, stalking past O'Connor towards the door.

Hawke wasn't quite sure what clued him in first; the shadow that suddenly filled the gap between the floor and the door, the slightest of sounds from the other side, but in a flash Hawke drew his gun from the holster and aimed it squarely at rippled wood of the door. Glancing across at O'Connor, Hawkes blue eyes widened in surprise as he saw the agent had done the same, his hands strong and sure around his weapon, his stance mirroring his own.

"Listen" Hawke murmured, so only the agent could hear " I don't know why you're here, or who sent you, but I don't believe in coincidences"

Their eyes remained focussed on the door.

"Hey Hawke, why don't you really say what's on your mind" O'Connor replied, half jokingly " I know a real good shrink that could help with that paranoia of yours"

"It's what's kept me alive "

"Until now"

Hawke tore his gaze away from the door and scowled at the younger man.

"I know you had my back, back there, but what I don't understand is, why?"

O'Connor rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on his gun.

"Have you ever heard the phrase, don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it means, Hawke. There's no conspiracy here. I'm not after that monster machine of yours.."

Hawkes head whipped round, pinning the young agent with a glacial stare.

O'Connors gaze met his, their stance never waivering, their guns trained on the door.

"Yeah, I know" O' Connor replied with a nod, " but I like to keep my feet firmly on the ground, so your Lady's safe"

Hawke resisted the urge to smile. Despite the cocky, self assured, macho bravado, if he didn't know better, Special Agent Ryan O'Connor had a fear of flying.

"But if you wanna get outta here alive, you're gonna have to trust me, huh?"

Hawke's eyes narrowed

"I take care of myself"

"Hawke, tell me" O'Connor said, taking a step towards the door " What's the first rule they teach you in combat?"

"You don't do anything all by yourself" he muttered, echoing the same words he'd said to his friend Minh, well over a year ago.

"Exactly. And you're in no shape to be playing the hero"

No sooner as he finished his speech, Ryan O' Connor fired his gun, prompting several bullets to spatte against the door on the other side in retaliation.

Hawke and O' Connor whirled around and pressed their backs against the door, guns pulled closely to their chests as they slid to the floor. Hawke glanced over at the agent, his eyes icing over.

"Hold that thought"


	7. Chapter 7

Caitlin O'Shannessy shifted uncomfortably on the plastic seat and shivered slightly as the evening breeze began to penetrate the sleeves of her thin jacket.

'You think with the amount they charge for school fees, they'd got seats a little less uncomfortable" she groused silently to herself, as wished for the umpteenth time she'd brought the warm padded jacket, currently hanging on the peg back at the hangar. A shout from across the field, tore her attention back to the game. Caits green eyes widened as Le slide tackled an opponent and regained his footing with intricate poise. He nutmegged a second, his slight stature giving him the advantage of speed to take him cleanly past his opponent. Shouts of encouragement from his coach and teammates filled the air, as the opposing coach waved his arms wildly above his head, motioning for someone, anyone to stop this kid. Cait held her breath and slid to the edge of her seat as a tall, robust defender nicknamed 'the Tank' barrelled towards him. Cait squeezed her eyes closed as she waited for the inevitable collision, and she was sure being half his size, Le would certainly come off worse. Slowly, she opened one eye and stole a peek at the action. Her other eye snapped open as Le jinked the ball past 'The Tank' with relative ease, leaving the hulk of a defender rooted to the spot.

"Ha! Take That!" Cait yelled, punching the air with a balled fist "Come on Le!" She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, as she suddenly realised here she was, a Soccer Mom, yelling from the touch line.

"Ah what the heck! Come on Le!" She yelled as Le sprinted towards the on rushing goalkeeper. "Shoot!"

What happened next, was almost in slow motion as she clasped her hands together in silent prayer. The giant scoreboard at one end of the pitch counted down the dying seconds of the game right next to the score between Van Nuys and Philadelphia Central-0-0.

Cait watched as Le steadied himself , shifted his weight and deftly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper. His arms fell to his side as he stood on the spot with his teammates, watching the ball spin and weave it's way in the air towards the goal. Everyone in the stands held the breath as the goalkeeper scrambled frantically back towards the goal, slipping on rain moistened grass as he went. It wasn't enough. The home crowd erupted as the ball spun into the net along with the forlorn goalkeeper, and Le spun on his heel, his arms triumphantly aloft as he was quickly buried beneath a blanket of yellow and maroon striped shirts. Cait leapt out of her seat with a whoop of joy, clapping enthusiastically as the final whistle signalled the end of the game and a victory for the Van Nuys Academy.

A sense of warmth encompassed her as she saw the looks of sheer joy on the kids faces, and couldn't help but smile as Le was hoisted onto his friend Billy's shoulders as the celebrations continued. He was growing up so fast and her heart ached to think that Hawke was missing out on all of it. She felt an intruder, moments like these belonged to Hawke and she had no place to take it all from him. She needed to talk to Hawke, and sooner rather than later.

"He's very talented"

A voice beside her jolted her out of her reverie

"Excuse me?" She asked, her gaze sliding to the owner of the voice

"I said, the kids talented"

The initial euphoria had dissipated, and Cait's eyes drank in the sight of the man sitting beside her. Her breath hitched as her gaze travelled over his chiseled, lightly stubbled jawline, across his broad shoulders and slowly down towards his tanned, muscular biceps. His deep, chocolate eyes gleamed with amusement and mischief, and a small smile tugged at the the sleek lines of his lips. For a moment, Caitlin was entranced.

"Yo?! Anyone there?" He grinned, dipping his head slightly so he could meet her eyes.

"Wh-what? Who's there?" Cait stuttered, finally managing to formulate something resembling a sentence.

The guy chuckled and shook his head.

"I was saying Le is very talented" he repeated for the third time. Finally regaining some sense of composure, a smile surfaced at the mention of Le.

"Oh ho, sure he is. Well I think so anyway, but I am kinda biased" she added with a shrug.

"Family?" He inquired, shoving his strong, firm hands into the pocket of his track suit top. Caitlin took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

""Yeah." She said immediately, as a frown suddenly creased her brow. "Well, sorta, kinda..."

Family. One single word was all it took to define her relationship with String. She was the kid sister he never had and a trusted friend. However much you tagged or labelled their relationship, Cait wanted, needed more. She wanted to me more than just good ol' , reliable Cait who's a handy chopper pilot to have around. She wanted something meaningful, for someone to love her like she deserved. Being content was no longer enough.

"Kinda? By the way you were jumping up and down earlier, I assumed you were"

"Oh. Yeah, that" Cait smiled sheepishly, feeling the heat begin to rise in her cheeks. "I'm just a friend. That's all"

Her voice trailed away as she felt a sudden, urgent need to crawl inside of her own skin.

"Well, does this friend have a name?" He asked, his gaze settling on the pilot.

"Caitlin O' Shannessy" she replied a little too quickly, and more business like than she would've liked. She mentally cursed herself. It sounded like she was arranging a charter at Santini Air rather than meeting someone new for the first time. Maybe it was time for an extended vacation.

"Well, Caitlin O'Shannessy it's nice to finally meet you" he replied, extending a hand "I'm Jack Stone. Le's soccer coach"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW


	8. Chapter 8

Special Agent O'Connor and Hawke crouched side by side on the damp, concrete floor. Hawke's head rested lightly against the door, his eyes closed as he attempted to shift the continuous throb that irritated his left temple. The pain in his injured ribs had diminished to a dull ache, and he ran the events of the last few hours over again in his mind. He had so many questions that remained unanswered. Why did Archangel send O'Connor? What was his true purpose for helping him? Who murdered the Special Ops team, lying only a few feet away? It was a professional job, the men had been executed. In Hawkes mind he knew Cullens men could not have been responsible. The team were the elite, trained in stealth operations and although he'd taken a hit, Hawke hadn't had much of a problem in taking out one of Cullens men. Neither had O'Connor. The nagging doubt and suspicion turned the dull ache into a throb as the realisation slammed into Hawke like an express train. It was a professional hit by the United States Government.

""So, you got a plan?"

Hawke opened his eyes at O'Connors voice, and turned his head slightly to look at the Agent

"Or are we just gonna sit here all day?"

O'Connor raised an eyebrow at Hawkes momentary silence.

"Maybe" Hawke replied, as he lifted his head away from the door.

"Maybe" O'Connor muttered, nodding his head in a stunned disbelief.

"Well, would you care to let me in on your little master plan?" He asked, gesturing vaguely with his gun "Or have I gotta guess?"

Hawke glared at the young agent, but said nothing. Turning his attention back to their current predicament, he swiftly adjusted his feet, and raised himself a few inches until his fingertips could just about reach the door handle.

"Jeez, Hawke. You really oughta try talking to people sometime" O'Connor mused, unable to prevent the teasing smile that played across his face. "You know, I really am quite interesting"

Hawke silently opened the door, a peered through the sliver of an opening into the room beyond.

"I'll bear it in mind"

Hawke turned and looked at his companion

"You ready?"

O'Connors eyes widened as his gaze slid from Hawke to the door.

"We're going through the door? Uh uh" O'Connor replied, shaking his head vigorously. "Not unless you wanna end up looking like Swiss cheese! That-"

O'Connors gaze shifted upwards, and he pointed his gun towards a small skylight in the ceiling "is our way out."

O'Connor looked back to the door, only to catch a glimpse of Hawke's retreating form through the open doorway.

"...Or we could use the door"

Gripping his gun tightly, O' Connor sprinted through the door and ducked instinctively as a bullet riccoched of a shelving unit millimetres above his head prompting the agent to change direction. Another shot rang out in the darkness and he darted around the corner, throwing himself against the nearest wall. Slowly, he peered round, careful not to give away his location.

"Man, if you're gonna do that, at least warn me next time, huh?!"

O'Connor whispered, watching the two men stalking down the aisle intently.

"I did." Came the gruff reply from the opposite wall "You were too slow"

In the cover of darkness, Hawke allowed himself a smile at the Agents flicker of movement, a tense of the shoulders so slight that if he hadn't been watching for it, he would've missed it. His gaze still trained on the two men inching towards them, O'Connor silently bristled at the insult.

"How many?" Hawke asked as O'Connor turned back to face him.

He held up two fingers, indicating that Hawke should take the one on the left, and with a nod of agreement, the two men sprung from their hiding place and Hawke got off a shot before the other man could even respond. Hawke watched as the man slumped to the floor, unmoving. Hawkes gaze snapped to his partner as he hit floor, rolling behind a stack of crates to evade the bullet that zero'd in on its target. The second man, evidently more accomplished than his companion, had found his mark, sending O'Connor barrelling into the cold, concrete wall. In one swift movement O'Connor found his feet, and ignoring the blossoming red stain seeping through the sleeve of his t shirt, he trained his gun, firm and sure, on the advancing enemy. For a brief moment their eyes met, and all the anger and pain for his lost friends bludgeoned it's way to the surface. O'Connor pulled the trigger.

It was over.

A blissful silence filled the warehouse as O'Connor slowly lowered his gun, grimacing slightly at the searing pain in his shoulder that simple movement evoked. He cast a weary glance at Hawke who appeared beside him, replacing his gun in its holster.

"You should get to a hospital" Hawke said matter of factly, finally breaking the silence as he nodded towards the Agents injured shoulder.

O'Connor shook his head

"It's just a flesh wound. I'm fine" he insisted, stowing his gun in the waistband of his jeans. He met Hawke's gaze. " I've had a lot worse"

Hawke almost smiled at his admission, reminding himself that he would probably do the same.

"Let's go home" O' Connor replied, the devastatingly cocky smile returning to his face. He slapped Hawke on the shoulder and stepped over the two lifeless bodies that lay on the floor and made his way to the invitingly open front door.

"You know, we really need to work on your communication skills" O'Connor began, oblivious to the perpetual scowl plastered across Hawkes face. He stopped at turned to face the pilot.

"With a little work, we could make a really good team-"

Hawke never got the chance to respond with the 'No' that teased his lips.

A hot, intense orange glow flashed before their eyes instantly blinding them, as an explosion ripped through the entire frame of the building. Hawke felt his body slam into something very hard, and very solid and groaned in pain as he landed with the full force of his weight on his already injured ribs. Summoning all the energy he still possessed, Hawke lifted his head and became vaguely aware of the blurry outlines of several armed men swarming in like a plague through the open door.

"O'Connor?" He spluttered weakly, running his hands over the gravel and tentatively pushing himself to his knees. As more armed men filtered through the entrance, he was grateful for the irony as the explosion had dislodged the false ceiling above their heads, temporarily concealing them from the army that continued to invade. When he got no reply, he crawled blindly across to a heap of debris on the opposite corner, as he willed his eyes to find some sort of focus.

"Ryan! " he repeated desperately, his own voice sounding as though he was a few hundred feet under water. Throwing off pieces of plaster from the agents prone form beneath the rubble, the intense heat from the fire raging around them and the putrid smell of burning, twisted metal filled his nostrils, spurred him on even faster, all the while, a well trained eye on the SWAT team that encircled the building like vultures after their prey.

A small groan emanated from beneath the last of the debris and grabbing hold of a dusty, muscular arm, Hawke pulled O'Connor free.

"You sure took your time" O'Connor choked, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor. Steadying himself on Hawkes arm, he pulled himself to his feet.

"We gotta go. Can you walk?" Hawke asked, glancing up towards the vacant exit.

"Hawke- " O'Connor replied, with an angry growl at the pain that encompassed his entire body "We're surrounded. We'll never make it. Give it up man, it's over"

Doubling over as the pain finally took hold, Ryan O' Connor slowly raised his eyes towards the light that filled the doorway. He'd never heard a sound like it before. An eerie, ghostly howl above the rooftops, that had the ensuing SWAT team doubling back towards the exit.

"What the hell is that?!" O'Connor asked as Hawke slung the agents arm over his shoulder. Hawke hesitated and caught O'Connors gaze, the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin

"Plan B"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke and O'Connor used every breath left in their body to drag themselves towards the door as the fire continued to rage around them, the red hot flames licking at the walls and floor. The ceiling above them creaked ominously.

"You think we can move a little faster?" O'Connor heaved, as the two men finally reached he door. "'Cos I'm about ready to check out of this dump-"

The two men hesitated in the frame of the doorway as the sound of rapid gunfire and panicked cries filled the night air, as though a small army had invaded the deserted warehouse.

O'Connor swayed unsteadily on his feet, and his eyes lacked focus as he grabbed hold of the strong arm that currently prevented him from falling into a heap on the floor.

"Woah, Easy-" Hawke replied, tightening his grip on the Agents arm, and was suddenly perturbed by the feeling of protectiveness that washed over him like a tidal wave. Memories, of his childhood, flashed before his eyes. Of him and St John- No. Of a boy, a young infant, with dark brown hair, a chocolate brown Labrador outside a house with a white picket fence, a red station wagon...

Another blood curdling scream brought Hawke back to reality, and judging by their current predicament, he knew the odds were stacked against them. If he didn't get O'Connor to a hospital soon, he'd have the death of a Federal Agent on his hands.

Slowly, O'Connor raised his head to meets Hawke's icy blue gaze with blurred, unfocused eyes, and offered the pilot a weak, fading smile.

"You got an Army out there, or somethin'? Cos we ain't gettin' outta here without one"

Hawke quickly ducked his head as another explosion rippled through the warehouse, and against his better judgement, he found himself returning the Agents smile.

"Or something"

Hawke and O'Connor half limped, half sprinted out into the freezing night, their heavy, laboured breaths creating plumes of vapour in the air as they ran. Taking cover behind an abandoned pile of stacking crates, Hawke silently thanked God for small mercies- The SWAT team hadn't seen them.

" What's goin' on?" O'Connor shouted, above the hail of stray bullets that embedded themselves in the concrete wall a few millimetres above their heads.

As the two men crouched behind the crates, as low as their bruised and battered bodies would allow, Hawke lifted his head towards the sky, his usually guarded blue eyes filled with desperation and worry.

"C'mon Dom!"


	9. Chapter 9

Stringfellow Hawke tightened his grip on his pistol and peeked through a small gap in the crates. The SWAT team Commander was issuing orders animatedly to his men, initiating what Hawke quickly realised to be a military, tactical manoeuvre, designed to locate and quickly eliminate the enemy.

Hawke watched the team intently as they all fanned out in different directions, all the while, waiting for any gap, any sniff of an opportunity to escape undetected.

Hawke shifted position and winced in pain as his injured ribs protested at the simple movement. There was no way even alone , in his condition, he could out run the SWAT team, and O'Connor hadn't moved since he'd fallen behind the crates. Any sliver of hope, was slowly ebbing away.

"What's goin' on Hawke?" O'Connor asked weakly, shifting himself so he was sat half upright with his back against the crates. "Talk to me, man"

Hawke glanced down at his companion, the blossoming, dark red stain on his shoulder growing larger with every passing minute. His breathing was laboured, and the ghostly pallor of the Agents skin told Hawke he was quickly running out of time.

"We're surrounded" Hawke replied succinctly, turning his attention back to the SWAT team. Swallowing the lump that had already formed in his throat, Hawke hesitated before he spoke, already knowing the answer to his question.

"Can you move?"

O'Connor managed a faint smile as his eyelids slowly grew heavy.

"Hawke, if you tell me there's a tank out there loaded for bear, I'll crawl on my hands and knees if I have to"

O'Connor snorted with laughter at the irony of his own joke, and suddenly enveloped his arms around his stomach, as his laughter quickly turned into a painful, spluttering cough. Hawke's gaze once again shifted to O'Connor as the Agents head lolled ominously sideways.

"O'Connor!" Hawke growled, as O'Connor's lifeless body slid to the ground.

"I'm Okay! I'm Okay!" O'Connor breathed as his eyes snapped open, and with the last of the energy he still possessed, he heaved himself back to a seated position. He ignored the pain of the gravel tearing at the skin on the palms of his hands, oblivious to the warm, red liquid, slowly trickling down his forearms. He refused to give them the satisfaction.

"Y'know, Hawke. Before I came here, I went on my first date in almost a year"

Hawke frowned as he kept a well trained eye on the operative that slipped round the adjacent wall and trained his gun on the stack of crates.

"A cute little red head" O'Connor mused " She was so hot!"

He smiled at the memory.

Slowly lowering his gun, Hawke's arms fell to his side as he made a mental note, if by some miraculous turn of events, he got out of this alive, to keep O'Connor well away from Caitlin.. From his position on the ground, O'Connor rolled his eyes to look at the pilot.

"Anyone you gotta get back to, Hawke?"

With a quick glance over his shoulder at the advancing SWAT team, Hawke slid down beside the wounded Agent, draping the arm that held his weapon across his bent knee.

"We've all got someone to get back to" he answered, gesturing vaguely with his gun. "What happened?"

"She sold Life Insurance" O'Connor chuckled. "Thought I was too much of a liability"

One side of Hawke's lips twitched into a grin and a shout from the commanding officer drew Hawke's attention back to the SWAT Team.

"So, what's she like?"

Hawke's head whipped round.

"Who?" he responded with a trademark frown

"Your girl. What's she like?"

"I never said I had a girl"

"You don't say a lotta things " O'Connor replied, pinning Hawke with a stare with the last of the clarity left in his eyes "But you're more transparent than you think, Stringfellow Hawke"

Hawke opened his mouth to respond with a retort of denial, and was suddenly engulfed in a myriad of noise and flurry of activity.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS! GET DOWN ON THE GROUND! NOW!"

Hawke made a move towards the stricken Agent, throwing a fist towards an advancing operative, connecting satisfyingly with the side of his jaw.

"Sonofabitch!"

Hawke was rewarded well for his efforts, as the but of an AK47 slammed painfully into his already delicate ribcage, and could only watch as his own weapon danced agonisingly away from his grasp.

Hawke whirled around at O'Connor's harrowing cry, a sound akin to the ones he'd heard in the burning jungles of Vietnam. His mind willed his body to move as the Agents arms were wrenched forcibly behind his back.

His body didn't move, it couldn't.

He waited.

Waited for O'Connor to recover and send all of these dirty and bought operatives straight to Hell.

Waited for Dom and The Lady to come to his aid as they always did.

Waited for Cait to suddenly materialise in front of him, unleashing those devastating karate moves that had gotten him out of trouble on more than one occasion. Despite the fact he knew there was only one possible outcome to this scenario, he couldn't help but smile at the image of Caitlin's face that permeated his foggy mind.

If he died, here and now, Hawke only had two regrets. That he never got to see Caitlin O'Shannessy's captivating, beaming smile one last time and the fact he'd never told her, just what a beautiful person she truly was.

O'Connor's body remained hauntingly still, and finally succumbing to the searing pain in his side, Hawke crumpled to the floor. Several pairs of strong hands hauled the pilot from the ground and flung him face down, pinning his cheek to the cold, harsh gravel.

"Well,well,well. String-fellow Hawke" came a deep, seemingly familiar voice. Hawke squinted up at the looming figure, his broad frame blocking the last of the light from the solitary lamp. "Even paper heroes cant run forever"

Hawke's head snapped backwards as his jaw felt the full force of a military standard issue boot.

"Who the hell are you?" Hawke bit out, trying desperately to regain a sense of his surroundings. "And who sent you?"

"Ah, Mr Hawke, I think you already know the answer to that question"

The blurry figure indicated to the prone Agent, lying spread-eagled on the floor

"Put him out of his misery"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA

Two of the men hauled O'Connor to his knees, and with all the last remaining energy left in his body, O' Connor slowly lifted his head to meet the flint grey eyes of his captor. Hawke noticed the shift in his eyes, the warmth he'd saw there earlier had been replaced with a cold, hard edge, a fierce determination to look his executioner straight in the eye. Hawke glanced at his gun laying a few feet away on the floor, and quickly calculated that as quick as his reactions were, if he made a move now, they'd both end up in the ground.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" O'Connor asked, buying Hawke a little time. "Why don't you just get it over with?"

Hawke shifted a little to his left.

"Whats the rush?" came the reply "I intend to enjoy this moment Agent O'Connor"

"What, like you did with my friends back there?" O' Connor spat, as Hawke shifted another few inches towards his gun "Or do you just get off on a being a little trigger happy?"

O'Connor chuckled to himself, acutely aware of the movement behind him as Hawke arrowed in on his errant weapon.

A low, dangerous rumble of laughter joined O'Connors

"Collateral damage, my friend. Whatever you may think, I am still an honourable man trying to protect his country"

"Honourable!" O'Connor snorted, as Hawke willed him to keep talking. He was within reaching distance of his gun, and he just had to wait for an opening, however slight, to make his move.

"You know what I think, Colonel Lynch?" O Connor asked, finally putting a name to the face "I think you're a coward.. And a murderer-" he paused briefly, observing the Colonel's burgeoning fury that he failed to suppress and silently congratulated himself.

The skill to push people to their limit had always been one of his finer character traits, or most infuriating, depending on which way you looked at it. It had cost him a few relationships over the years, he thought ruefully. The Colonel was no exception. He had him figured out from the very beginning, even when he was his commanding officer, and knew exactly what buttons to press and the subsequent reaction. The last five years of trying to take the murdering Colonel down had taught him that. But it had also saved his life more times than he could count, and had now provided the necessary distraction that Hawke needed to turn this whole sorry mess to their advantage. Sensing he was on a roll, O'Connor ploughed on.

"You don't deserve a single one of those medals on your chest. Those men in there-" O'Connor inclined his head towards the warehouse. "Were worth a hundred of you!"

"Enough!"

Hawke froze on the spot as the Colonels acid tongue silenced the Agent, and slowly, wanting to savour every second of his imminent victory, Lynch lowered his gun to O'Connor's temple.

"I think its time you and Captain Hawke joined your friends. I'm just sorry I wont be able to make your funeral. I'm sure you'll get a hero's send off"

"You kill me, and this place will be crawling with cops" O'Connor replied, using the Colonels momentary distraction to hook his foot around Hawke's gun, concealing it from the other operatives.

This time it was the Colonels turn to laugh

"You always did have a way with words, Lieutenant. But I think not. Now, prepare to join your friends-"

As Lynch's finger rested on the trigger, Hawke saw his opening and made his move. In one swift movement, he took the nearest Operative to the ground with a roundhouse kick, and barrelled unceremoniously into a second one that attempted to bring a premature halt to his plan. Landing on his weapon, he snatched it gratefully into his hands, sending a bullet straight into the shoulder of the Operative advancing on his injured partner. His hands still fastened behind his back, O'Connor took advantage of the only body part that still functioned, and rammed his head into the midriff of a bewildered Colonel Lynch, sending him crashing in a heap to the floor. O'Connor remained face down in the mud, motionless, and as Lynch fought to disentangle himself from the prone agent , a faint, ghost like sound teased the edge of his hearing, distracting him from his primary objective. It couldn't be. It simply wasn't possible.

Suddenly, all heads snapped to the darkened sky, as Airwolf careened from the sky like a bullet, screaming a challenge to those on the ground. With a new focus, the two men still on the ground forgotten, the team began their assault on this new, deadly threat. Lynch hadn't factored Airwolf into the equation. Hawke was on the ground, they had him cornered. There had been nothing in the intelligence he'd been given to suggest Dominic Santini was a second pilot. He hadn't even considered him an imminent threat to the operation. It was then and there Lynch came to the horrific conclusion this fact had been a deliberate omission. Now he had to fight his way out, just like 'Nam. Bullets chattered harmlessly off her armoured belly as Airwolf descended, creating a shield between her pilot and the SWAT team.

"C'mon String"

From his position in the Pilots seat, Dominic Santini muttered a prayer as he watched Hawke haul himself from the ground.

"Nice timing, Dom" Hawke groused, as he sprinted over to O'Connor and heaved the dead weight of his partner onto his already aching back.

The Operatives began to flee, as the fierce backwash from the rotors, rocked their jeep, marked with the familiar army camouflage, from side to side, flipping it on its roof as though it were no more than a playing card. Lynch watched in disbelief at his retreating Agents, and could do nothing but watch as Hawke climbed into the safety of Airwolf, and rose majestically from the ground, disappearing into into the shroud of darkness.

"What the hell happened, String?"

Dominic Santini's questioning gaze settled on Hawke as he gave O' Connor the once over, cataloguing every injury.

"Set up" Hawke replied succinctly, removing a piece of bloodied material from O' Connor's t-shirt to reveal a gaping bullet wound to the shoulder. Hawke almost smiled at O'Connor's understatement. Flesh wound, he said. Typical. For all the good it would do, Hawke applied firm pressure to his muscular shoulder.

"We were sold out"

Dom's eyes widened

"Isn't that our mole?"

"He's no mole! He's FBI" Hawke replied hotly.

The same sudden protectiveness he'd felt earlier mixed with a healthy dose of anger, suddenly encompassed him

"The same as there were no armour piercing weapons. Michaels stonewalling us Dom, and all I wanna know is, why"

His gaze returned to the stricken agent.

"Mr Clean? No, I don't believe it. I just don't" Dom returned, shaking his head at the implication. Hawke retreated into silence at Dom's words, not wanting to believe what was staring him straight in the face. The man that he'd made a deal with three years previously, the man he'd started to consider a friend had sent them straight into an ambush. Dom acquiesced to Hawke's familiar silence in an attempt to gather his own thoughts. If he was honest with himself, String's accusations had some merit. The information they'd been given had been sketchy at best, which wasn't like Michael to send them into a mission blind. He always demanded a thorough job before he risked Airwolf and its crew. Neither one of them had expected the arrival of the SWAT team, and it seemed that the erroneous information of a FIRM mole and fictitious weapons had them flying slap bang into an ambush. Michael sure had a lot of explaining to do. Someone had an ulterior motive, and Dom just didn't want to believe it was the man that had got them out of several sticky situations in the last three years. A man whose life they'd saved on more than one occasion.

"How's he holdin' up?"

Hawke's roughly spoken words broke the silence

"Sub-normal body temperature, String" Dom informed him, checking the scanners. "Life signs are weak, we need to get him to a hospital."

Hawke shifted resolutely in his seat, gripping the cyclic with determination.

A blip on the monitor had Dom's gaze turning to the scanner.

"String! I've got an incoming!" he announced, typing furiously on the keyboard.

"Couple-a F14's headed right this way!"

Hawke's blue eyes narrowed in the open visor of Airwolfs heavy helmet.

"And they knew right where to find us" he growled " Turbo's!"

"You got it, String!"

Hawke's thumb hit the red button and Airwolf streaked across the orange sky, screaming like a banshee.


	10. Chapter 10

The journey to Cedars Sinai seemed like an eternity to Hawke, even in Airwolf. The landing was bumpy and lacking its usual finesse, but they were down on the ground, and that was what mattered. No sooner had Hawke exited the helicopter, he was surrounded by a myriad of activity…the lead Medic shouting something about paging the Head of Surgery and prepping an OR immediately… Hawke made to follow, only to be stopped by a meaty hand on his arm.

"They've got this, String" Dom said softly, as his surrogate son watched the lifeless form of O'Connor cross the tarmac on a gurney and disappear into the lift with the seven or so medics that were fighting to keep him alive. Realising there was nothing more they could do, the two men reluctantly returned to Airwolf , as she was beginning to draw attention, and after alerting the FBI, Airwolf rose majestically into the sky, on her way back to the Valley of the Gods.

It was much later when the Jet Ranger rounded the last bluff at Eagle Lake and as they approached the cabin, Hawke's gaze swept over his sprawling mountain hideaway, barely recognisable as the retreat he escaped to for solitude so readily in the past. With the large extension Hawke had commissioned, the cabin had been completely transformed from a solitary, almost lonely place to a large vibrant, family home, yet still retaining the rustic charm, warmth and romanticism Hawke savoured, and was grateful to come home to. Without even knowing it, He'd opened up his home, and life to his family and Hawke felt it had gone some way to healing the wounds left by St Johns absence. Le had quickly claimed the newly built upstairs bedroom as his own, and after one horrific foray into the teenage boys bedroom, enough to rival any Airwolf mission, Hawke quickly came to the conclusion that absence probably was the best policy. The Old Loft, as Hawke liked to call it had also undergone an overhaul, giving him more privacy from the endless stream of visitors that frequented the cabin these days. Over the last few months, Hawke had slowly grown accustomed to finding his nephews school friends sitting round the breakfast table most weekends, and hearing them up late at night watching some movie or other and talking about girls in their class, by torchlight. He even found himself joining in with their fishing and hiking expeditions, not to mention a weekly get together with the Oshiro's. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he didn't feel lonely, and his life was finally full. Well, almost, he thought wistfully.

The new side extension housed two new en-suite bedrooms and bathroom, and Caitlin had immediately adopted the larger of the two bedrooms as her own. At one point, with all the 'emergency' clothes and 'home comforts' , Hawke thought he was going to have to hock an extra chopper just to get it all to the cabin.

He smiled as he thought about Cait's magazines strewn all over the table, open at the page of the latest celebrity scandal, and the way she folded down the corners of newspapers and fishing journals that contained articles she thought he might like. The smile quickly turned into a grimace as he thought about a few nights ago when she'd forced him to watch some chick flick movie, called Top Gun or something. She'd promptly burst into tears at the death of one of the main characters and almost slapped him when he started pointing out the errors in their attack manoeuvres and flaws in their strategies.

"It's a movie, Hawke!" he could almost hear the Texan accent ringing in his ears.

Hawke's eyes suddenly widened as he realised just how much time they'd spent together since Le came to live at the cabin, and was alarmed at his own ease with it. He hadn't even got Le as an excuse for the impromptu movie night, as Le was staying at the Oshiro's and Dom had met up with some of his old army buddies. Hawke recoiled in his seat slightly as he realised he was close.. Too close.

The last of the scaffolding was still visible, clinging to one of the side walls and the tail of Caitlin's chopper peeked out from the rear of the cabin, sitting idly on the new landing platform that had been erected. Hawke felt a warmth encompass him as his gaze alighted on the small plume of smoke that billowed from the roof, and the soft, welcoming orange glow coming from the front windows, indicating that the current occupant of the cabin was still up.

Dom had barely set the Jet Ranger down on the jetty, when Hawke jumped from the cockpit and ducked under the rotors.

"You ok?" Dom asked, yelling over the noise of the rotors.

"I'm fine, Dom" Hawke returned. Dom quickly glanced up at the cabin, and attempting to conceal his widening smile, he returned his gaze to his surrogate son.

"Well, don't forget to call if you need anything, huh? Oh and tell Cait I said hi"

Hawke nodded and ducked back under the rotors to shut the cockpit door. He took a step back and raised a hand as Dom lifted the Jet Ranger back into the night sky, and he was still watching as the chopper disappeared behind the nearest rise.

As silence once again fell over the lake, Hawke shoved his hands into his pockets and half walked, half limped along the jetty towards the cabin. He replayed the evenings events over again in his mind, the ambush, Colonel Lynch, his reason for being there and the arrival of the F14's. it couldn't be a coincidence, but he just couldn't piece together the fractured information. He paused as he reached the front door, and painfully rolled back his shoulders, determined not to clue Caitlin in on his injuries. That was a whole other minefield he just didn't want to walk through right now. Besides, he had problems closer to home. He'd missed Le's soccer game, and not for the first time, he'd let the boy down. He had a lot of explaining to do, and with a heavy heart, Hawke finally pushed open the door to the cabin.

Caitlin O'Shannessy looked up expectantly from the book she was reading, and Hawkes breath caught in his chest as he froze in the doorway, drinking in the beautiful sight before him. Cait sat on the old sofa, her legs curled beneath her, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and an oversized green sweatshirt, pledging her allegiance to her sorority, Kappa, Lamboa, Chi. Her strawberry, blonde hair, softened by the California sun, flowed loosely around her shoulders, and her freckled skin was completely free of makeup. Hawke caught sight of his blue tick hound, snuggled protectively into Caitlin's side, and almost smiled as their heads rose in unison in response to his arrival. Tet gave a short whine, unfurled himself and trotted over to greet his master, his mission of protecting Cait in Hawke's absence was now complete.

The corners of Cait's mouth twitched into a grin as Hawke remained rooted to the spot in the doorway, his impossibly blue eyes still fixed on hers. Cait cleared her throat in an attempt to conceal her smile, and slowly closed her book.

"You gonna shut the door Hawke? Or y'gonna let us all freeze to death?"

"Huh?" he mumbled in response to Caitlin's raised eyebrows. Amused, She nodded towards the still open door, the chilly night air on the mountain bending back the flames of the fire roaring cheerfully in the hearth. Suddenly plummeting back to reality, Hawke quickly shut the door, vaguely aware of Tet scrabbling back across the living room to his original position by Caitlin's side.

"I thought I heard Dom's chopper" Caitlin continued, absently scratching at Tet's neck, and missed the small smile that flitted across Hawke's face. With her continued presence at the cabin, Hawke had spent time honing her hearing, teaching her the intricacies of differentiating one chopper from another in order to keep her and Le safe, he'd told himself. His time had paid off, as now, she was almost as good as he was. Almost. Caitlin's eyes returned to the pilot's.

"So? How'd it go?"

Hawke was so lost in her wide, inquisitive eyes, that it took him a moment to realise she was talking about the mission. Hawke quickly rubbed his chin and made his way over to the sofa.

"Wild goose chase" Hawke admitted, grimacing slightly as he lowered himself stiffly onto the sofa. A grimace which hadn't gone unnoticed by Cait. Ignoring her frown, Hawke nudged his dog with his leg, prompting the hound to shoot a disapproving look at his master and relinquish his preferred position by Caitlin's side. With a wide yawn, Tet padded across to the hearth, and settled in front of the burning embers, almost as though it had been completely his idea.

"You mean you didn't find the weapons?" Cait asked, deciding that now probably wasn't the best time to lecture Hawke about first aid. As she shifted closer to Hawke, she felt his whole body tense as her thigh grazed his, and it was only then Caitlin realised why. By the firelight, her eyes swept over the purpling boot-shaped bruise colouring his jaw and the way his hand slipped protectively across his ribs by its own volition. Slowly, she reached up and gently traced the outline of the bruise with her fingertips, enjoying the sensation of the light dusting of stubble against her skin.

"What happened this time, Hawke?" Cait asked with a small smile. "You forget to duck?"

Hawke scowled

"I'm fine"

"Sure y'are." Caitlin replied flatly, jabbing a finger towards his jaw "And that bruise right there didn't just appear all by its self! That's a boot!"

Hawke's eyes narrowed

"I said I'm okay!" he growled

"Fine!" Cait retorted, her Texan drawl thickening as her frustration with the pilot mounted. From his position at the hearth, Tet lifted his head and cocked it to one side with interest as Caitlin pushed herself to her feet

"You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn man I've ever met, Stringfellow Hawke, and that's sayin' some"

Hawke closed his eyes as Cait began to gather momentum. He'd known her long enough to recognise the signs, and knew there was only ever one outcome. She jammed her hands onto her narrow hips.

"Y'know, maybe I should just call Michael and see what he's gotta say about all of this-"

Cait swivelled dramatically on her heel and took a step towards the cabinet where she knew Hawke kept his radio.

"Don't"

Caits eyes collided with Hawke's as he grabbed a fistful of her sweater and slowly guided her back down to the sofa. His hand remained on her waist as an awkward silence engulfed the cabin, and without thinking, Hawke slid his hand down to her thigh.

"So-" Caitlin began, her eyes searching Hawke's "Are ya gonna tell me what happened?"

With his hand still firmly on her thigh, Hawke shrugged a shoulder, and began to tell her the events of the evening, and their brush with Colonel Lynch. Caits eyes widened as he told her of the execution of Michael's team, and almost shuddered as he told her of the ambush, and subsequent escape form Lynch's men. Every now and then, Caits gaze would flicker to the mottled bruise on Hawke's jaw, a constant reminder that Hawke had, as always, found a way out. This time.

"So this guy, O' Connor-" Cait began when Hawke had finished. "Wasn't a FIRM mole?"

Cait leant her elbow on the back of the sofa and buried her hand in her long, strawberry blonde hair as she awaited Hawkes response.

"Nah." Hawke shook his head "He was government, FBI no less-"

"FBI?" Cait's eyes widened in surprise as she removed her arm from the sofa and sat up straight, her freckled forehead creasing into a frown "Hawke, why would the the FIRM send you in after an FBI agent?"

"The whole thing was a set up. They hoped I'd take him out, or the other way around, which ever came first"

"Then Lynch and his goons showed up as extra insurance" Cait replied softly, vaguely aware of Hawkes fingers linking through hers

"Yeah"

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Hawke turned her hand over in his, contemplating the enormity of the situation they found themselves in. Someone, Hawke wasn't sure who or why, had made a deliberate and direct attempt on Airwolf, and the threat was still very much a reality. They were suddenly all in in way over their heads, and just by association with him, Cait, Le and Dom were now in deeper than they'd ever been before. These people were mean and powerful, and didn't care about the sanctity of human life. They did what needed to be done. The people he cared about most were now directly in the line of fire, as guilty as he in the eyes of the law, staring down that same barrel Hawke had been since he'd hidden Airwolf from the FIRM almost three years ago. Hawke knew people like Lynch wouldn't think twice about using them to get to him. They were expendable. Collateral damage. Hawke's throat closed on the thought.

As memories of Gabrielle lying in the Libyan desert flitted through his mind, Hawke squeezed Cait's hand a little tighter, to remind himself she was here right now, with him, safe and alive. He just had to keep it that way.

"You think they're after Airwolf?"

Caitlin's softly spoken words pulled Hawke from his thoughts, and he nodded briefly, still holding Caits hand, almost as if the simple contact kept him grounded and focussed.

"It's the only thing that makes sense" Hawke's brown furrowed "Michael fed us some bogus intelligence about armour piercing weapons and a FIRM mole…they knew we'd take the bait and show up"

Impassivity slammed across Hawke's boyish features as he whipped his hand from Cait's and struggled to his feet. He stalked over to the hearth, his icy gaze settling on the picture of him and St John he kept on the mantel.

"Hawke, you don't think Michael-"

Hawkes head whipped round to look at Cait, and the look in Hawke's eye told her he thought exactly that.

"String, no. I don't believe it" Cait replied firmly, echoing Dom's words. Hawke shoved his hands onto his trouser pockets and rocked back on his heels as he turned his gaze back to the photograph of St John.

"Michael's your friend-" Cait paused as she recognised the set in Hawkes shoulders, the pulse in his jaw and realised her words were falling on deaf ears.

"And even if he wasn't your friend, Michael is a man of his word. He made you a deal, Hawke-"

A soft touch between his shoulder blades, indicated that Cait was no longer on the sofa and as he turned to meet her honest eyes , he felt the tension slowly begin dissipate.

The corners of her mouth twitched into a grin

"And if I know Michael, he intends to keep it"

Hawke couldn't help but return her smile. He reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Then, how do you explain the F14's showing up?" Hawke asked, his hand lingering on her cheek

"I can't. " Cait admitted, as Hawke brushed her cheekbone with his thumb "Not yet, anyways, and neither can you, Hawke so don't go off half cocked without all the facts!"

Hawke allowed his hand to fall to his side.

"All I know is, Michael wouldn't risk your life, or Airwolf , I'm sure of it"

Hawke glanced again at the photograph of St John on the mantel, marvelling at her unwavering support of the spy he'd come to think of as an ally. She had her own reasons for putting her trust in Michael, a run in with Ken Sawyer had cemented that, and he couldn't just ignore it.

"I'm sorry, Cait" he replied, turning round and gesturing towards her "You're right"

"I often am" she smiled "You just needed to listen to a voice of reason, that's all"

Hawke took a step towards her and met her gaze

"What did I do to deserve you?"

Caitlin flushed, her gaze lowering from Hawke's, leaving the pilot mentally chiding himself for allowing the words to slip out. As he opened his mouth to mutter an apology, Caitlin spoke.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe shooting up a corrupt Sheriff and half the cowboys in Pope County, Texas-"

They both chuckled at the memory.

Caitlin held his unwavering gaze as she took a few steps forward until they were toe to toe.

"You saved my life, Stringfellow Hawke, even if you didn't want to admit it"

Hawke reached out and took both of her hands in his and stared down at their tangled fingers.

"And you saved mine"

Hawke's roughly spoken words were barely audible, leaving Caitlin wondering what exactly he was referring to.

"Yeah, well-" Cait replied, nudging his hands so he'd look at her. "I guess that makes us even, huh?"

"Even" Hawke agreed with a nod. Fingers still tangled, Hawke sighed and gently tugged her towards him.

"I gotta figure this out, Cait. " Hawke continued, reluctant to break contact "I gotta figure out who's behind this, what they want and why" Hawke paused " All of our lives may depend on it"

Cait nodded, squeezing his hands tightly.

"We will"

Hawke felt a reluctant smile tease his lips at his friends quiet confidence, and their gaze caught and held, eyes of hazel and honey meeting eyes of cerulean blue. Feeling an unexpected frission of attraction, Hawke cleared his throat and took a step back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"How's Le?" Hawke asked, settling upon on a more neutral, less intimate topic of conversation. Attempting to hide her blossoming disappointment, Caitlin returned to the sofa and grabbed her book that she'd left perched on the arm.

"He's real upset you missed his soccer game" Cait informed him, opening the book at the page she'd marked.

"Yeah, I figured " Hawke replied, crumpling tiredly into the seat beside Cait. Her eyes left the words on the page and swept over the dark circles clearly visible beneath his eyes.

"I'll make it up to him"

He slowly closed his eyes , trying to rid himself of the ache of throwing one right hook too many. Cait bit her lip as she watched him flex his right hand, once, twice and slump awkwardly back into the cushions. She sighed inwardly. Stringfellow Hawke was indeed an exceedingly stubborn man.

"You hungry?"

Hawke cracked open an eye, and shrugged a shoulder as Cait slid her hand onto his Denham clad thigh and pushed herself to her feet. He watched her through his open eye as she rounded the sofa and made her way into the kitchen. He was still watching as she stood on tiptoes and reached into one of the top cupboards.

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll warm some soup " Cait called over her shoulder. Needing no second invitation, Hawke struggled to his feet and took a few steps towards the stairs.

"Hawke?"

The pilot turned at the foot of the stairs, and caught the playful sparkle in her eye.

"You want me to look at those ribs for ya?"

Cait smiled broadly as she caught the icy blast across the cabin, and not bothering with a response, Hawke straightened his posture in defiance, turned and stalked up the stairs.

From his new position on the hearth, Tet raised his head and let out a whine.

"Yeah, Tet. I know" Caitlin replied with a smile, and with that, the red head turned her attentions back to dinner duty.

Hawke paused in the doorway of Le's bedroom, and leant against the doorframe. A small lamp on his nightstand offered a soft orange glow, illuminating his comic underneath, which lay open at the latest adventure of his favourite superhero. A black mop of hair was just about visible on the pillow, peeking out from underneath his Superman duvet, and with a twinge of regret tugging at his conscience, Hawke sighed heavily. Maybe he hadn't thought this whole thing through, taking custody of Le. It had been a knee jerk reaction when he'd found out his Aunt Minh had died, and partly guilt as his adoptive father had been killed by his own hand. He was the only person Le had left that he could call family, and Hawke needed to honour that, even if he had know idea how it was all going to work. Hawke felt his brother was still out there somewhere, and he had to do everything in his power to get him back, for Le Van, even if not for himself.

Hawke took a step inside the room, and crept over to where his nephew slept soundly. Perching lightly on the side of the bed, Hawke tugged the duvet up a little further and reached over to switch off his lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Being careful not to wake him, Hawke gently smoothed out the strands of dark hair on his head and bent to place a soft kiss on his temple.

"Im sorry, Le" Hawke whispered, blinking back his own tears in surprise. "I'll figure this whole thing out. I promise"

With a final glance at his nephews sleeping form, he retreated out of the room, quietly pulling the door until it snicked shut. Hawke stared at the door for a few moments, wondering if he should wake the boy, to try and offer some sort of explanation, but quickly decided against it. Nothing could be solved tonight. As the tiredness finally washed over him, Hawke rubbed absently at the back of his neck and padded dejectedly to the bathroom.

From somewhere beneath the duvet, a glistening pair of dark eyes stared sightlessly off into the darkness, blinking only once as a single, solitary tear plopped onto the pillow.


	11. Chapter 11

"Half Pint?"

Stringfellow Hawke ignored the faint warble of some chick flick soundtrack that floated up from the kitchen radio, only slightly disguised by the sound of pneumatic drills and the shouts from the building Foreman Hawke had hired to finish the cabin build. He rapped urgently on the bathroom door, mindful of the time. The hive of activity from the ground floor and noise melted away into the background, as the vivid memories of the events of the last few days took their toll on his already fragile state of mind. It had been a few days since Le's missed soccer game and the teenager had gone out of his way to avoid him.

Sleepovers at the Oshiro's, Atari at Zachary's place, there always seemed to be an excuse not to be in the same room as him. His nephew had been in the bathroom for almost forty minutes, a new personal best, and Dom had a Hollywood studio director breathing down his neck for what he called 'The Stunt of the Century' and he really couldn't afford to be late. Not today.

Hawke moved his ear closer to the door, as his highly acute sense of hearing kicked in at his Nephews lack of response.

'Y'know I can hear you in there" he ventured as a small rustle of movement teased the edge of his hearing. A movement so small it wouldn't normally be picked up by the average person. "What's taking you so long?"

There was a thump followed by a rustling sound as Hawke withdrew slightly from the door

"Just a minute, Uncle String!" came the muffled reply. Hawke waited a few more minutes before realising Le wasn't surfacing anytime soon and, cursing under his breath, Hawke shuffled along the landing of his newly extended cabin and descended the stairs. It was at moments like these he was grateful he'd commissioned the construction team into the addition of an extra bathroom. Hitting the bottom step, Hawke grimaced with pain as the movement tweaked his already tender ribs, and releasing the breath he'd been holding, he padded painfully towards the downstairs bathroom.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

Hawke tried the handle once again and peered through the small window in the door, which was now completely obscured by steam.

"Cait?!" Hawke snapped, balling his fist and knocking impatiently on the door "Caitlin! You in there?"

With a huff of irritation, realising with some chagrin that his new boudoir would benefit from an En-Suite, he listened, only to be greeted with a stony silence. Growing more and more irritable by the second, which was never good where Hawke was concerned, he rapped on the door again.

"Cai-" Hawkes tirade was brought abruptly to an end as the door flew open to reveal an equally irritated Caitlin O'Shannessy, her green eyes full of indignation. Hawke's breath caught in his chest at the sight of the female pilot, wearing nothing but a towel tied at the waist which left little to his imagination, attempting to dry her strawberry blonde hair with another, which was still damp from the shower. Hawke swallowed hard and shifted his gaze to meet Cait's.

"Y'know for a man with a lotta virtues, Hawke, patience really isn't one of them"

Hawkes eyes followed Cait as she pushed past him and made her way down the hall, with the pilot not far behind.

"Patience!" Hawke bit out, his brow knitting together in the trademark scowl. Cait reached her bedroom and turned on her heel to face Hawke, causing him to stop abruptly. Only a few inches separated them. Cait allowed her gaze to wander, drinking in the sight of him wearing an unbuttoned plaid shirt and jeans, his short brown hair wonderfully mussed from sleep. Cait shifted her eyes to meet Hawke's.

"Yes Hawke, patience" Cait reiterated, jabbing a finger into his bare chest "A concept that's clearly lost on you"

Cait ignored the icy blast she received as recompense for her efforts, and continued to admonish the very confused pilot.

"Its not just you in this cabin, Hawke or have you forgotten that?"

"Oh, Believe me, I've tried" Hawke replied through gritted teeth, casting his mind back to the vast array of textbooks and gossip magazines that littered the cabin. It was moments like these he remembered why he'd chosen a life of solitude.

He leaned in closer to Cait, suddenly uncomfortably aware of the scent of her Forest Fruits shampoo or whatever the hell it was she used. It was almost intoxicating. Acutely aware of his proximity, Cait remained rooted to the spot, as she caught his gaze with her own.

"I gotta be at the Hangar" He said succinctly "I need to take a shower"

The low gravel tone sent an involuntary shiver down Cait's spine, and she found herself unable to tear herself away from those impossibly blue eyes.

"Well," Cait began, taking a deep breath in a futile attempt to get her racing heart back under control "Maybe you could do with a little work on your time management skills"

Hawke bristled and silently cursed. He'd spent long enough in the military to know when to admit defeat, although he never imagined it would be to a fiery, red headed ex- cop from Texas.

"My 'skills' are just fine" he countered " and as I recall, you have your own place"

"Somebody needs to watch Le" Cait replied "Or would you like to care of that, huh Hawke?"

Hawke almost smiled at the Texan all riled up, and silently took the credit for being the reason. She had a flush to her freckled cheeks and a flash of indignation in her green eyes, and without warning, the same thought he'd had on the movie set a few days earlier permeated his mind. Rubbing his chest, Hawke took half a step back, creating a healthy space between them. Cait flashed Hawke a smile, hoping the disappointment at Hawkes sudden retreat didn't show.

"Bathrooms free"

Hawke glanced down at the towel Cait had dumped unceremoniously in his arms

"Oh and Hawke?"

His gaze shifted to meet Caits. She stood, one hand on the door knob, the other holding her towel in place, her bedroom door slightly ajar

"You know the rules. First up makes breakfast!"

Hawke could only watch Caits retreating form as she disappeared into her bedroom, pushing the door shut with her foot. He glanced down at the damp towel in his hand and back up at door, and could just about make out the faint sound of humming coming from the other side.

Hawke was still staring at the rippled wood, when he spun on his heel and stalked off, towel in hand to find the Foreman with a new instruction- the commission of an en-suite bathroom.

"Y'know Hawke, this guy is paying more than what Dom earns in a month!" Caitlin exclaimed from the kitchen as she shovelled the eggs onto three plates. "And he's all paid up until the end of the week!"

Cait joined String at the breakfast table, sliding his plate in front of him, and one in the place of the absent Le, who had yet to surface from the depths of his room. She slid into her own chair, and began to eat her breakfast with gusto. Hawke lifted his mug and paused, quirking an eyebrow at her evident enthusiasm for the plateful of food in front of her. Since being up at the cabin, hiking and fishing and embracing the beautiful surroundings of Eagle Lake, her appetite had increased ten fold, and if he was truly honest, he enjoyed having a hiking buddy that didn't jump out of their skin at any stray noise.

"What?" Cait mouthed through a mouthful of food. Hawke shook his head and took a sip of coffee, hiding the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

"All I'm sayin' is Dom really needs this job, String"

Hawke pinned Cait with his familiar gaze, and lowered his mug to the table

"Does it have to be you?" he asked, gesturing at Cait with his free hand

"He asked for me personally" she replied, pointing her fork towards Hawke. "It was part of the contract he signed with Dom"

"Yeah well I don't like it" String replied, taking another gulp of coffee to quell the bubble of anger that surfaced at the mere mention of the man he disliked so much "The guys a real jerk"

Hawke finished, remembering the warm day in June Thomas Huntington the third had swept into the hangar, hiring lock,stock and barrell of Santini Air for an entire month. He could almost see the dollar signs in Dom's eyes. He'd been taken with Cait instantly, and was never far behind her, wherever she was, whether it was overhauling a chopper or completing Dom's invoices. He was always there, like a bad penny, and Hawke couldn't shake the feeling when he was around, the same feeling that had kept him alive up until now.

A small smile surfaced at Hawkes words as she took a sip of orange juice

"I'm a big girl, Hawke. I can take care of myself" Cait replied, a warmth encompassing her at his concern

"You really think he's interested in flying lessons?" Hawke's words hung starkly in the air "Because I sure as hell don't!"

Hawke struggled to push the memory of his hands all over the small of Cait's back, between her shoulder blades, where his own hand should rightfully sit, and had done on many occasions. It was all Hawke could do to supress the urge to punch the man.

Cait's cutlery clattered onto her plate.

"Stringfellow Hawke, don't be such a worry wort" Cait admonished, taking her empty plate to the kitchen and dumping it in the sink. "If he comes anywhere near me, remember I give free samples"

She turned to look at Hawke, her hands on her hips. With a small smile, she cocked her head to the side, in an attempt to pull Hawke from his brooding reverie.

Hawke pinned her with the infamous glare, the image of Cait unleashing one of her devastating karate moves mollifying him slightly.

Hawke chuckled at the thought

"Now eat" Cait said, turning back to the sink "Your eggs'll get cold"

"Yes ma'am" Hawke opened his mouth to continue, but a sound behind them had them both turning to look at the stairs.

Le Van Hawke cut a forlorn figure, his eyes fixed firmly to a spot on the floor as he made his way over to the table and plopped down dramatically into the chair next to Hawke.

"Well good morning!" Cait greeted cheerfully as Hawke glanced at his nephew before taking another sip of coffee. Le glanced up at Cait and managed a weak smile

"Hey" Hawke greeted, forcing Le's dark eyes to meet his

"Hey" Le replied in a near whisper, picking up his fork and moving his eggs around his plate listlessly.

They fell into an uneasy silence, neither one knowing what to say.

Cait gaze slid from Hawke to Le

"Well, I'll just be over-" she said, motioning towards the kitchen hoping if she made herself scarce, it would give them some time to talk. Cait busied herself with the dishes and Le's school lunch as Hawke ate his eggs in silence, Le continuing to push his around the plate with his fork.

"What's the matter?" Hawke asked finally, breaking the silence. "You not hungry?"

Le shook his head, his mop of black hair falling into his eyes as he did so.

"Hey, how about after school we take a hike up to the ridge" Hawke said as he finished off his breakfast "Maybe do some fishin'. Just the two of us, huh?"

Le looked up at his uncle, his eyes wide and hopeful.

"What about Cait?" Le asked. Cait looked over her shoulder at the two sat at the table.

"Ah she's a big girl" Hawke replied with a smile, lifting his head in the Texans direction long enough to give her a quick wink. "Tet'll keep her company"

Cait rolled her eyes and turned back to the sink.

"Just the two of us?"

Hawke gave a quick nod

"But what if something comes up?" Le asked, the look of hope vanishing as quickly as it had arrived.

"Something always comes up"

Hawke glanced up at Cait, who had returned to the table, drying her hands with a towel.

Hawke took a deep breath as he placed his hand on his nephew's slender shoulder.

"Half Pint" He began, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze "I promise you, nothing is going to come up"

"But that's what you always say!" Le shouted, scraping back the chair as he sprang to his feet

"You never keep your promises!"

Forcing back the tears, Le bolted towards the stairs before Hawke had a chance to stop him

"Hey Half-Pint!" Hawke shouted as Le bounded the stairs two at a time, before slamming his bedroom door with such force, a few of Hawke's smaller paintings rattled precariously on their fixings.

Cait closed her eyes and flinched as Le slammed his bedroom door. She muttered under her breath as she mentally calculated how she could sneak away quietly and return to the sanctuary of her own apartment. Slowly she opened her eyes and turned to look at Hawke.

"Well, that went well" she mused as Hawkes brow knitted together in a frown.

Hawke took a deep breath before he spoke.

"He sure is angry" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah. He is" Cait replied softly, lowering her gaze to toy absently with the towel in her hands.

Hawke remained silent for a moment, contemplating his next move. He was a brilliant strategist out in the field, but when it came to teenage boys and matters of the heart, he'd rather face a sky full of MiGs than attempt to understand teenagers and hormones.

"Maybe I should go talk to him" Hawke said, moving towards the staircase.

"Hawke, wait-"

Cait laid a hand gently on his arm, guiding Hawke back to her side.

"Here" She said, handing him the towel "Let me go"

She patted his chest and began to climb the stairs, feeling his impenetrable gaze following her every step of the way.

Cait knocked gently on the door

"Le?"

Cait pushed on the handle and the door opened with a squeak. Le stood by his bed, a vast array of books and comics spread haphazardly over the covers. He moved round the bed purposefully, grabbing a few heavy textbooks and stuffing them into his oversized rucksack. Honestly, she hardly knew how he managed to carry the darn thing around, as it was almost as big as him.

A small smile surfaced as she watched Le throw his comics onto the nightstand, and folding her arms, she leant against the doorframe.

"Hey" she said softly "Whatcha doin"

"I know why you're here" he murmured, refusing to turn around. He swiped away a tear with the sleeve of his blazer and zipped up his rucksack

"I came to see if you were ok" Cait said, moving into the room "You seemed a little upset down there"

"I'm fine" Le replied, flopping onto the bed like a deflated balloon.

"Sure y'are" Cait replied, perching next to him on the edge of the bed. Le picked up the nearest comic and began turning the pages, the words swimming before his eyes in the tears that threatened to escape.

"Y'know, your Uncle String is doing the best he can, even if it doesn't come across that way sometimes" Cait explained, dipping her head to look at Le

"He's always so busy-with Airwolf and Uncle Dom" Finally Le lifted his head to look at Cait

"Sometimes I think he doesn't want me"

"Oh no" Cait replied, drawing Le into a fierce hug "Of course he wants you. He loves you. We all do"

Cait rubbed his arm as Le burrowed into her side.

"String's just adjusting is all. You both are. He's spent most of his life alone apart from Uncle Dom, and he's not used to worryin' about other people"

"I guess"

Cait ruffled his hair as Le pulled out of her embrace

"You're staying though, aren't you?" Le asked hopefully.

"Sure honey, for a little while" Cait replied "I mean its been great spending time with you guys, but I've gotta get home and say hi to my cat" Cait smiled, nudging Le's shoulder with her own.

"Why? Why can't you stay here. With me and Uncle String?"

Her smile slowly faded as she searched for the right words.

"I can't Le. Not forever"

"Why? You like Uncle String, don't you?" Cait shifted position awkwardly on the bed, not particularly wanting to walk through the minefield of their relationship, especially explaining it to a thirteen year old boy.

"Why sure, of course I do"

"So?"Le replied, raising an eyebrow as he picked at a stray thread on his blazer "You always say we're family and families should be together. My Uncle likes you, you like him, so what's the problem?" Le looked up at her with his dark honest eyes, and Cait marvelled at the way he looked at life so simply, especially when it was anything but.

"Sure we like each other " Cait began, searching for the right words "We're friends-"

Le snorted

"Is that all?" he replied dully, scuffing the foot of the bed with his shoe.

"I don't understand-" Cait said, her brow furrowing

"Oh c'mon Cait!" he exclaimed, his gaze once again meeting hers. "I may be just a kid, but I've seen the way he looks at you, how he sneaks a glance when he thinks your not looking" he paused, gauging Caits reaction to this revelation. He tipped his head and rolled back his shoulders in his familiar show of defiance "I got eyes"

"Oh sugar-" Cait replied, attempting to ignore the tear that pricked at the corner of her eye. "Things with your Uncle String, they're a little complicated, but all I know is you can't force people into feelin' a certain way, however much you want it" Cait paused, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat as she fought to supress the familiar ache that bubbled away in the pit of her stomach. "But you know, families don't have to be together all of the time" she continued as Le's gaze met hers. "I mean, look at me and my family. They're still in Texas"

" Do you miss them?"

"Why, sure I do. But it does mean you always make the most of the time you do spend together, right?"

Le nodded and his dark gaze lowered and alighted on a spot of ink on the rug.

"I miss my Aunt Minh" he confessed in no more than a whisper

"Oh I know you do Darlin'" Cait replied, wrapping her arm around his slender shoulders as Le's arms found their way around her waist, her cheek resting on his dark mop of hair

"Its not fair" He mumbled into her sweater, sobs wracking his tiny frame. "Its not fair"

Cait said nothing as she held him, allowing him to grieve for his lost aunt from the safety and warmth of her arms, and as her arms tightened around him, she finally succumbed to the single tear which rolled mournfully down her freckled cheek.

They sat that way on the edge of the bed for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually after the sobs has subsided, Le slowly pulled away from her embrace

"Thanks Cait" he murmured,

"Anytime, you know that" she replied, gazing at his tear streaked cheeks. Slowly, a small smile teased the corner of her lips.

"Oh look at you" she sniffed, reaching forward to wipe away another tear "You've gone and set me off now"

She swiped away a tear of her own as Le finally returned her smile.

"See I knew that smile of yours was hidin' in there somewhere" she grinned, placing her hand comfortingly on Le's shoulder. She ducked her head to catch the teenagers gaze.

"Le, whatever happens, I'll always be there for ya- You know that"

Slowly, Le looked up

"Promise?"

"Promise"

"C'mon you, lets get you to school" Cait sighed, pushing herself up from the bed and grabbing his rucksack from the floor "You got everything you need?"

"Yeah I think so-"

From his position at the top of the stairs, Stringfellow Hawke listened to the easy chatter coming from the other side of the door, which mostly consisted of Le trying to coerce Cait into letting him fly the Jet Ranger. An unfamiliar sensation washed over him as he thought about everything he'd over heard, and didn't know what concerned him the most, the fact that Le thought he didn't want him, or the fact Cait was planning on leaving. He'd chosen to ignore the fact that Le had practically called them on the state of their relationship, and if he was truthful, ignorance was probably the cause of their current predicament. As he heard the low rumble of Le's footsteps on the bare wooden floorboards, Hawke backed away towards the stairs, leaving as silently as he'd arrived.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWWAW

"Please Cait" Le pleaded as he bounded down the stairs with Cait following close behind.

"I said I'd think about it"

The warm Texan drawl caused Hawke to glance up from the book he was only half reading.

"Think about what?" he asked, closing the book and placing it on the arm of the couch.

"Oh hot shot pilot over here wants to fly the Jet Ranger" Cait supplied as Hawke appeared at her side.

"That right?" he asked, looking sideways at his nephew who'd crossed the cabin and joined Tet at the Hearth, ruffling the hounds ears with enthusiasm

"Yeah. Seeing as I've had quite a few lessons now, I thought with a bit of gentle persuasion-"

"Gentle persuasion!" Cait cut in feigning indignance "More like bribery if you ask me"

A warmth encompassed Hawke as he observed the banter between the two, and couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his lips as he watched Le count off on his fingers all the reasons why he should fly the chopper, with Cait standing her ground, hands on her hips.

"And anyway, Uncle Dom lets me" Le finished with a certain finality that he clearly expected that to be the deal clincher.

"Oh ho no you don't" Cait responded "You've got Dominic Santini wrapped around your little finger and you know it. You are not taking the controls of that Jet Ranger until you are good and ready"

"You can back me" Le argued "And take over if I mess up."

Leaning aback against the counter, Hawke hid his chuckle behind his coffee mug he'd retrieved from the kitchen.

"Hey Half Pint-"

Cait and Le's heads swivelled in unison to look at Hawke who gestured towards Le with his mug

"I'll back you"

Caits mouth dropped open

"Stringfellow Hawke!" Cait exclaimed , her Texan accent growing thick as her voice rose an octave. She jammed her hands on her hips "Have you listened to a word I've been sayin'?"

Her eyes followed Hawke as he made his way to the front door and grabbed his flight jacket off the stand

"I listened" He confirmed in his usual non committal way as he shrugged on his jacket and retrieving his aviators from the pocket "Theres no harm in letting the kid fly. Like I said, I'll back him" He gazed down at the red head as she leaned in, brushing against him as she grabbed her own jacket from the stand, the familiar scent of her berry shampoo invading his senses for the second time that morning.

He shook his head slightly to clear the fog from his mind.

"Uh, Uncle String?"- Le cut in, just as Cait had opened her mouth to fling back an appropriate retort. "No offense but I'd rather Cait took me up" Le replied with a half smile. "She's a little less-"

He chewed his bottom lip awkwardly as he settled on the right word.

"Uptight"

Hawke glanced across at Cait who didn't even attempt to hide her amusement

"Well there's gratitude!" he replied, placing his hand on his chest in mock hurt

"Okay Okay! Ill take you up after school" Cait conceded as she opened the front door and ushered Le out in front of her "But if we don't leave now, I'll be late and Huntington the third will not be happy"

Hawke glanced at her as Le ran on ahead with Tet scrabbling up the jetty beside him

"And that's a bad thing?" Hawke asked, a hint of a smile on his lips

Cait flashed him a knowing smile of her own, before Hawke reached out mid stride to gently grasp her wrist

"Cait-"

Hawke stopped just short of the chopper, and tugged Cait toward him, watching as Le yanked open the door and clambered aboard the helicopter.

"String? Is everythin' ok?" she asked, her soft features masked with concern.

"Yeah everything's fine" he replied, his thoughts still firmly on the conversation he'd overheard that morning.

Caits eyes widened expectantly as she waited for an explanation

"Le sure was upset this morning, huh?" Hawke replied eventually, shoving a hand into his jeans pocket and rocking back on heels.

Cait smiled softly

"You do have a knack for understatement, Hawke"

"Yeah"

Hawke looked out across the calm blue waters of the lake, his peace, his tranquillity. The only place in the world he, Stringfellow Hawke felt grounded. Safe.

Taking a deep breath, he turned his attentions back to the woman in front of him

"You talked to him. Is he happy here?" Hawke asked, gesturing towards the chopper with his aviators.

"He's just a kid, Hawke. He's been through a lot."

Hawke hummed in agreement

"He misses his Aunt, but yeah he's happy here, and don't you go convincing yourself otherwise, mister" She finished, prodding a finger into his chest. Cait's breath hitched as he grabbed the hand attached to the finger.

"Thank you" Hawke replied sincerely, the pad of his thumb tracing from one delicious freckle to the next on the top of her hand. "For everything"

"I-um" Cait suddenly found herself speechless at this intimate gesture, Hawke completely devoid of the impassive mask he usually wore. She was afraid, afraid if she looked too deeply into those impossibly blue eyes that bared a lifetime of loss and grief, there would be no coming back. Cait glanced over her shoulder at the Chopper where Le sat, diligently completing the pre-flight checks exactly the way she'd taught him, hoping fervently Hawke hadn't noticed the faint blush to her cheeks.

"But you know-"Hawke continued, the deep gravel tones sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. He tugged her closer until she was so close, she felt the tickle of his breath against her ear "He'll never, ever let you forget this"

"Well, you-" Cait replied gently pushing him away "Shouldn't be so..what was it now? " she mused, rubbing her chin.

"Oh, that's right! Uptight!" Cait exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across her face. "But you know I'm no substitute for the best"

Vaguely aware he was still holding her hand, Hawke released his grip, allowing her arm to fall to her side.

"You fly a top secret, technologically advanced military helicopter on missions of 'national security'" Hawke replied, causing a smile to surface on Cait's face as she detected the subtle shift in his tone indicating he was mimicking the white clad spy they had all come to eventually call a friend. "At speeds rivalling the fastest jets, saving my life, and Dom's on more than one occasion. Wouldn't you say that qualifies as the best?"

The faint whir of the Rangers rotas teased the edge of Hawke's hearing as their gaze caught and held and before he could stop himself, Hawke reached out and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lightly brushing her cheek.

"Hey! Uncle String!"

Impassivity slammed across Hawkes features as he quickly became hyper aware of just how close the were, and took a step away, oblivious to the look of burgeoning disappointment evident on Cait's face.

"C'mon! We're gonna be late!" Le yelled over the sound over the rotors, half hanging out of the chopper. He quickly ruffled Tets ears before the mutt scrabbled back down the jetty, escaping the fierce backwash the rotors provided.

"I guess that's us" Cait said softly , a tinge of regret lacing her words.

"Yeah"

Placing his hand on the small of her back, Hawke guided Cait towards the waiting helicopter.


	12. Chapter 12

Dominic Santini checked the clock for what felt like the hundredth time as he shifted awkwardly on the white leather sofa in the doctors office at the FIRM. He surveyed his surroundings and couldn't help but think the room was much like everything else associated with the the FIRM, bare walls, painted a stark magnolia shade, devoid of any colour apart from a painting of The Lady of Shallott that hung above the head of an austere receptionist who was currently barking down the phone at some poor, unfortunate soul.

Dominic Santini folded his arms across his expansive chest and chuckled quietly to himself as he listened to the exchange. Evidently, some incompetent buffoon had managed to mislay a set of test results and unfortunately for them, the profuse apology had fallen on deaf ears. With a curt goodbye, she hung up the phone and turned her attentions back to her stack of paperwork.

Dom's gaze slid sideways as a door opened, and a very tall, balding doctor in a white lab coat stepped out.

"Mr Santini? " Dr Burke asked, looking at the pilot over the top of his thick glasses, which only served to enlarge his blue, bulbous eyes.

"That's me Doc!" Dom replied with an enthusiasm he didn't really feel.

"If you'd like to come this way"

The doctor stepped aside to allow Dom to enter his office and closed the door behind them.

"If you'd like to take a seat" Dr Burke offered, indicating a white leather chair in front of his desk. Dom lowered himself into the chair as Dr Burke did the same, folding his lanky frame into a chair on the opposite side of his desk.

Dom's bushy eyebrows knitted together in a frown as Dr Burke remained silent for a few minutes, immersed in the report he held.

"So, what's the verdict Doc?" Dom asked finally.

Dr Burke looked up from his report

"Mr Santini" he said, placing his report on the desk "Quite frankly, I'm troubled"

"Oh?" Dom asked, his voice raising an octave.

"Your cholesterol levels are through the roof, there's fluctuations in your ECG results..." Dr Burke explained, reading from the paper in front of him. He looked back up at Dom. "Mr Santini, you need to slow down. Take it easy"

"Slow down?!" Dom exclaimed, shuffling forward to perch on the edge of the chair "Now look, Doc, I gotta business to run. I can't just..slow down"

"I can appreciate that Dominic, but this is serious. "

Dom opened his mouth to reply, but the grave look on Dr Burke's face had the words stuck fast in his throat.

"How serious?" Dom asked, clearing his throat in attempt to disguise the croak that had momentarily taken the place of his voice.

Dr Burke, leaned forward, clasping his hands together on he desk.

"Dominic, if you don't make some serious changes to your lifestyle, it could lead to all sorts of complications. What about Hawke and Caitlin? Couldn't they take up more of an active role in running Santini Air?"

"They...ah...they don't need to know about this" Dominic said, dismissing the doctor with a wave of his hand. He looked away, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he he contemplated the Doctor's words. Santini Air was his whole life. He'd built it up from the bottom and without it, he was just an empty shell of a man. A wave of nausea engulfed him as he thought of the prospect of losing everything he'd worked so hard for.

"Dominic? Are you alright?" Dr Burke asked, looking at Dom with something akin to concern, as he took in the pilots ghostly pallor.

He reached forward, and poured a cup of water from the jug that sat on the edge of his desk.

"Here"

Dominic quickly took the cup from the doctors hand, and took a grateful sip, the cold water a welcome contrast to his dry throat.

"Dominic?"

Dom's gaze shifted to look at Doctor Burke

"Talk to Hawke and Caitlin" he urged, his voice softening. "If you don't slow down and soon, you could have an MI"

"Are you saying that I could have a heart attack?!" Dom asked, his eyes widening

Dr Burke nodded slowly.

"That's exactly what I'm saying"

"I see-" Dominic replied, darkly, his bushy brows once again knitting together in the trademark frown.

"I wish it were better news" Dr Burke continued, signing off the report in front of him "I'll make you an appointment with Dr Stern, he's a friend of mine and one of the best Cardiologists in the world"

Dr Burke tore off a piece of paper and handed it to a shell shocked Dom. Dom glanced down at the information in his hand.

" Do you have any questions?" Dr Burke asked, pushing himself to his feet and tucking his pen back into the pocket of his lab coat.

Dom stood slowly

"No. I...er.. No questions" Dom replied, jamming his red satin baseball cap over his grey curls.

"Well... uh... thanks again, Doc" He finished with a forced gap tooth grin

Dr Burke rounded the desk and accompanied Dom to the door.

"Remember what I said " Dr Burke said as he opened the door "Use it for some much need Rand R, yes?"

With a low chuckle, Dom saluted Dr Burke and made his way back across the waiting area, The Doctor still watching as the haze of blue disappeared through the front door. Rolling his eyes, Dr Burke slid back into his office, feverently hoping the pilot had heeded his words otherwise, the next time he'd see Dominic Santini would be on a gurney in his ER.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Dom sat in his office at the hangar, staring down sightlessly at the piece containing Dr Sterns details in Dr Burke's familiar loopy scrawl. His mind replied the conversation he'd had with Dr Burke earlier that morning. He felt fine. A little tired maybe, but fine nonetheless so Dr Burke had to be wrong. Trying to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind, Dom found himself reaching for the phone.

Suddenly a loud clatter emanated from inside the hangar, causing Dom to hastily replace the receiver.

"Would you just cool your jets for one minute?"

"Cool my- why Stringfella Hawke you are the most-" Dom almost smiled at the thick Texan accent as she continued to ream String out, announcing his friends arrival in the most emphatic way.

Glancing once again at the slip of paper in his hand, he tucked it away in his pocket, determined not to clue his friends in on his current medical condition.

With a heavy sigh, Dom exited the office to find out what all the commotion was about.

"Dominic Santini!" Cait exclaimed as soon as Dom appeared through the door "would you please tell him?!"

Cait jammed her hands on her hips as she glared at Hawke, her eyes full if indignation.

Dom glanced between the two

"Tell him what?" Dom asked

"That I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, that's what!" Cait flung back as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh no, don't you get me involved in your little-ah- whatever it is, missy " Dom replied, gesturing towards the pair "You leave me out of it"

Dom almost winced at the icy blast across the hangar

"Chicken" Hawke growled, vaguely noticing Cait was no longer by his side. He followed her into the office.

"Let me take the lesson, Cait" Hawke demanded, as she made a show of dumping her bags on the desk

"No, Hawke. We talked about this." Cait replied, rummaging through her bag for nothing in particular. "You don't trust him. I get that, but I'll be just fine"

Hawke almost smiled as the thick Texan drawl emphasized the last word. Her Texan accent had softened since she'd been in California, but in moments such as this, when she was angry or back from a visit with her folks, it reminded him of the day she came barreling into his life, way back in Pope County, Texas.

Hawke's gaze travelled over her for a moment, an indulgence he afforded himself from time to time.

He couldn't deny she looked good. Her new sweater and jeans hugged her figure in all the right places, and with her hair swept up into a loose pony tail, his gaze settled on the spot just below her earlobe. His eyes travelled down the contours of her delicate neck and vaguely wondered what it would be like to kiss the spots his eyes currently occupied.

He quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Hawke cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels.

"Yeah" Hawke replied, rubbing his chin and gesturing towards the red head. "look what happened with Sawyer"

Cait looked up at him.

"Hawke ! Not everyone is a homicidal maniac after Airwolf!" Cait exclaimed rounding the desk and pushing past Hawke.

"Can you say that any louder?" Hawke growled " I don't think Eddie heard you across the other side of the Airfield!"

Hawke scowled at the chuckle that floated up from beneath the belly of the Jet Ranger and followed her, stepping over Doms coveralled legs.

"Have you forgotten the last time you took him up, he practically groped you!"

Cait stopped at the coffee perculator and retrieved her mug from the work bench

"I think that's a little strong" Cait replied as she leant against the work bench, wrapping her hands around the mug and enjoying the warmth that radiated to the end of her fingertips.

"I don't" Hawke bit out, as a strong recollection of Huntington the Thirds hand lingering on Caits thigh slightly longer than was necessary, suddenly permeated his already befuddled mind. Cait pushed off the workbench, placing her mug of coffee down with a little more force than was warranted, causing the muddy brown liquid to slop out over the sides.

" You know darn well that his company is paying three times what we make in a month" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest "I can't quit now "

Her gaze dropped as Hawke took a step towards her, regarding her intently.

"Then let me take it" he said quietly, desperate for her to see reason.

"No"

The word hung starkly in the air between the two, and as Cait lifted her gaze, guarded blue eyes collided with hers. Dom slowly rolled out from underneath the Jet Ranger as the stony silence encapsulated the hangar. He glanced at String, then his gaze shifted to Cait, wondering which of them would make the first move.

"No?" Cait raised an eyebrow questioningly as she took a step forward, closing the distance between her and Hawke. She unfurled her arms and rested her hands on her hips.

"Stringfella Hawke-" she said, her green eyes twinkling with mirth "Are you

..jealous?"

Cait held Hawke's gaze as she waited for an answer , mentally congratulating herself at the look of sheer panic that flit across Hawke's features, before once again returning to the impassive mask he always wore.

"What? No!" He replied incredulously, causing a small gap toothed smile to surface on Dom's face at the younger mans vehement denial.

"I.. just...don't like him" Hawke said, with an air of finality.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hawke silently cursed himself. Cait was as stubborn as a mule, and knew instantly she would never let him get away with such a lame excuse.

"You don't, huh?" Cait's eyes flashed dangerously as she took a step towards Hawke, prompting him to take a step back, increasing the distance between them. They stood, their gaze locked, creating an almost palpable tension in the air.

"Ah, c'mon now you two"

Dom's voice echoed round the hangar as he scrambled to his feet, eager to nip this brewing argument between his two favourite people, firmly in the bud.

Hawke was the first to look away, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets and rocking back slightly on his heels.

" How about I take the lesson" Dom suggested, his gaze sliding to Cait. She sat in the open door of the Jet Ranger, the frustration at Hawke's overprotectiveness evident on her face.

" After all. I am still the boss around here"

Hawke raised an eyebrow

"Are you feelin' ok, Dom?" Hawke asked with mock concern , taking the opportunity to feel Dom's forehead with his hand. Cait smiled at Hawkes sudden playfulness. It was a side to him he rarely allowed anyone to see, and all her time spent at the cabin, she'd come to see it more and more, allowing his carefully constructed facade to fall.

"I'm just fine" Dom bellowed , swatting his hand away "I'm not all washed up just yet"

Cait left her perch in the Jet Ranger and leaned in to kiss his cheek

"No-one said you were, Dom"

"Hmmfff" Dominic gave a nod of defiance, and folded his arms across his chest

" Why, I was flying just about anything, before you two were even born! I still know a thing or two" Dom said, puffing his chest out proudly. "There was this time, me and your old man were running a coupla B52's across the border-"

" I get it, Dom " Hawke cut in, almost certain he'd heard this particular war story several times before. Cait folded her arms and leaned against the workbench, listening to the barbs flying between the two pilots. A warmth encompassed her as she allowed her mind to wander to the first day she'd arrived at Santini Air, after looking up the first three hundred S Hawkes in the phone book.

He'd intrigued her back in Pope County, him and the big black battleship with the rotors which he vehemently denied ever existed. So much had happened in the last few years, it all seemed like a lifetime ago, yet here she was, firmly entrenched in his life. Against her better judgement, Cait stole a glance at Hawke.

Piercing blue eyes collided with hers as Dom gained momentum with his latest war story, and unable to help himself he gave her a quick wink, his gaze sliding back to Dom almost instantly. Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, Caits eyes dropped to the floor, suddenly finding a smear of oil particularly interesting.

"Well, you two better get along, now" Dom urged, rudely pulling her from her reverie" You need to be on set in an hour"

Grateful for the distraction, Cait searched for the keys to the Jeep under a stack of unpaid invoices. Rolling her eyes in despair, she grabbed the keys from Dom's desk.

"Oh, the hospital called just before you kids got here" Dom added as an afterthought "The FBI agent from the warehouse-"

Cait paused from tidying the stack of paperwork and glanced across at Hawke. They both turned in unison to face the older man.

" O' Connor" Hawke supplied. He looked over at Cait, fearing the worst.

"Yeah, O' Connor. " Dom replied, a bushy eyebrow raising meaningfully " He's awake"

Exchanging a knowing look, Hawke hooked his aviators over his ears and followed Cait out of the hangar, oblivious to Dom sagging wearily against the metal doorframe.

Dom watched, half in half out of the hangar as String acquiesced the drivers seat to Cait, before the familiar red, white and blue jeep tore away from the Airfield.

Dom let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and with all the energy he still possessed, he pushed off the doorframe and shuffled towards the office. Slowly, he removed his red satin baseball cap and hung it in its usual place, swiping away beads of sweat that had settled on his craggy brow. He stood still for a moment as he steadied himself against the filing cabinet, willing the room to come back into focus.

Suddenly with a grimace, he crumpled into the chair like a deflated balloon, a vice-like pain radiating straight through his chest. It robbed him of any air left in his lungs and as he clutched at his chest, Dom silently prayed to God the pain would go away.

He did not want to die today.

He would not die today .

It had been a long time since Dominic Santini had left his faith behind, ever since his daughter Sally had died, ever since Strings parents had died in the boating accident. Ever since St John had been MIA and String had dedicated his life in searching for him. Life had only ever inflicted pain and grief onto those he cared about..But Dom Santini still prayed, he prayed for all those he loved, and it seemed God never listened. But as the pain slowly subsided, it seems God was listening to him today.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"I can't press upon you the urgency of this mission, Hawke"

"What the hell are you waiting for? Why don't you just get it over with?"

"What's the rush? I intend to enjoy this moment, Agent O'Connor"

"The whole thing was a set up. They hoped I'd take him out or the other way around, which ever came first"

"Michaels your friend, and even if he wasn't your friend, Michael is a man of his word. He made you a deal, Hawke"

"Half-Pint, I promise you, nothing is going to come up"

"But that's what you always say! You never keep your promises"

Stringfellow Hawke gazed out of the window of the Jeep as Cait's enthusiastic chatter and the blare of car horns protesting at this latest jam on the freeway, faded into white noise. The events of the last few days weighed heavily on his mind as he tried to fit together the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. He was a soldier, a man relying on his instincts to keep him alive and those he cared about. That's what made sense to him, yet suddenly he felt threatened like a hunted animal, a knot constantly twisting away in the pit of his stomach and it worried him more than he cared to admit. Visions of Gabrielle, her life ebbing away in the desert, memories of Caitlin trapped at the bottom of the ocean, held captive by South American bandits haunted his dreams.

When he woke in that same cold sweat in the middle of the night, he would rest against door frames of the newly built rooms of the cabin, watching Cait and his nephew sleep, questioning again and again his decision to pull this amazing, selfless, ex cop from Texas further into his circle rather than push her away, like he had with so many others. Despite the craziness of the last few days, there was one thing Hawke was certain of, he would give his life in a heartbeat to keep his family safe, and destroy anyone that tried to take them from him.

"So I said Dominic Santini if y' don't chase these invoices, all those helicopters of yours are gonna be nothin' but scrap metal, and do y'know what he said Hawke?"

The Texan drawl, sweet as honey, teased the edge of Hawkes hearing, gently tugging him once again from his brooding reverie. Cait's gaze alighted on her passenger, who continued to stare sightlessly out of the window.

"Hawke?"

Cait frowned at Hawkes lack of response and returned her eyes to the road, chewing the inside of her cheek as she fought to conceal a smile.

"Oh and by the way, Michaels asked to me to marry him and I'm gonna go and work for the FIRM. I've told Dom I'll work out the week..."

Cait's gaze shifted once again to Hawke as he murmured a response.

Hawke wasn't prepared for the punch that landed squarely on the top of his arm.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, his head whipping round to look at Cait with a trademark scowl "What the hell was that for?!"

"What was what for? " Cait repeated incredulously, her hazel eyes wide with mock innocence "Stringfella Hawke, you haven't listened to a single word I've been sayin' since we left the Airfield!"

"Well...maybe if you quit your bellyaching-" Hawke bit out, surreptitiously rubbing the spot where Cait had struck him. She could certainly pack a punch when she wanted to, and almost felt sorry for all those bad guys she'd taken down twice her size. In truth, he'd been so completely consumed by his thoughts, the Texan had taken him by surprise.

"Quit my-" The words died on her lips as her indignant gaze met Hawkes, his own masked by his aviators. With Cait's continued presence at the Cabin, it was a look in her eye that had become oddly familiar to him, whenever she was passionate about something or simply frustrated or angry and in that one look it conveyed so much more than words ever could. Oh he'd known it was there, a brief flicker whenever she was reeming him or Dom out on some unfinished repairs, their latest run in with criminals whilst on a mission for Michael, or his fierce overprotectiveness of the woman he'd come to care for, but the first time he'd seen it, really seen it was after he'd returned from the mountain with a broken leg after a brush with the enigmatic Catman. He'd brushed off her concerns over his injuries, barked a token 'I'm fine' at the pretty red head, but he'd been hooked from that moment. Maybe in the years she'd been with them, Cait had kept it well hidden, only surfacing in her concern or worry over their safety, or maybe he simply hadn't been looking, but there was one thing Hawke was certain of. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Well, maybe I expected my co-pilot to be better company" Cait replied, completely oblivious to the rapidly escalating tension Hawke's unbecoming thoughts had provoked. Hawke leaned across the console, silently congratulating himself as Cait stiffened in her seat as she felt his breath gently tickle the spot just below her earlobe.

"Maybe... you expect too much"

Hawke flashed Cait a twisted smile before returning his to his brooding silence. They continued their journey without a word, Cait stealing the odd glance at Hawke as her eyes searched for any change in the Pilots demeanor.

"Ok, Hawke, what gives?" Cait asked finally, pushing her windswept hair out out of her face. When the pilot didn't respond, Cait took a deep breath and shifted in her seat, uncertain of the outcome of her latest topic of conversation.

"Fine. Why don't I help you out then, huh? You're worried about the FBI guy and whether or not Michaels involved in some sorta conspiracy to nab Airwolf-"

Slowly, Hawke looked round "and your worried about Le and how y'gonna make this all up to him"

Caits eyes met Hawkes, and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"How am I doin' so far?"

Cait quirked an eyebrow as she held Hawkes gaze, and he couldn't help but return the Texans smile. She'd managed to sum up his entire predicament in three sentences. In the three years he'd known her, she still continued to surprise him. Dom often marvelled at the way she could communicate so easily with the otherwise mulish pilot, whether it was a quiet word of support, or whether simply her presence was enough. He'd often said with a bark of laughter, that if she'd bottled it, she'd make a fortune. Archangel would probably even sell his own mother just to get his hands on it.

Hawke scraped his hand across his jaw and gestured towards the redhead.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Nah" Cait replied, waving a hand dismissively in her friends direction. She looked back at him with her familiar disarming smile "Only to me"

Hawkes brow suddenly furrowed as Cait took an unscheduled turn off the freeway, down a narrow street barely wide enough for a human being let alone for any sort of vehicle .The light instantly faded as the stark, concrete buildings loomed formidably over the Santini Jeep and from behind the safety of his aviators, Hawkes worried gaze swept over the gang graffiti sprayed generously over the harsh exterior. He knew the neighbourhood well, at least he knew of it's reputation, having done some flying work for a few of financial conglomerates located at the edge of town. He was also acutely aware that in this neighbourhood , the red, white and blue stuck out like a proverbial thumb.

"Cait?" Hawke said cautiously, as she swung the jeep around bags of rubbish dumped outside the back of a Chinese restaurant. "I think you took a wrong turn back there. The studio's the other way"

"I know that"

Cait's worried gaze flickering to the rear view mirror hadn't gone unnoticed by Hawke as she took another right turn down an equally narrow street. "I'm takin' the scenic route"

The irony was not lost on Hawke and it took him only a moment to realize the ex-cop was driving round in a complete circle.

Instinctively, his hand went to the gun tucked into the back of his jeans and Hawke shifted in his seat, turning to glance over his shoulder as a late model, blue sedan rounded the last corner and appeared into view.

"That Sedan's been tailin' us ever since we left the hangar" Cait supplied, her eyes once again on the rear view mirror as Hawkes gaze arrowed in on the blacked out windows. "Y'think they're FBI?"

In one swift movement, Hawke whipped off his Aviators and tucked them into the pocket of his flight jacket.

"I doubt it" Hawke growled, his thoughts turning back to the warehouse as he mentally chided himself for being so distracted that he didn't spot the the tail sooner. Swiveling back round, so as not to clue in their pursuers that they'd been seen, Hawke gestured through the the windscreen at yet another darkened alley.

"Keep driving"

Cait replied with a nod and took another right turn, glancing briefly in the mirror as, sure enough, the sedan re-emerged from a gap in the buildings.

Against his better judgement, Hawke allowed his mind to wander to the unusually balmy evening back in March when the CEO of Paramount Pictures had flown into Van Nuys personally on his private jet, with promises of fame and grandeur over their latest box office smash- the CIA's creation of a state of the art aircraft, stolen by its test pilot.

Dom almost choked on his meatball sandwich.

Michael turned whiter than his suit.

Hawke had immediately refused, believing it would draw unnecessary and unwanted attention to the crew, but Cait reasoned the script was too 'science fiction' to even be remotely believable. This was the first day out of their two weeks on set they'd travelled by road, the Director requesting the Jet Ranger be left overnight for essential promotional shots. It hadn't sat well with Dom. Not one little bit. He almost smiled at his surrogate fathers words, watching him pace around the hangar stopping only to wag a meaty finger in his direction.

'I swear String, If there's so much as one itty bitty scratch on my chopper , I'm tellin' ya, all hell will break loose! "

"Ah c'mon Dom, relax. " Hawke jumped down from his vantage point on the ladder, and slapped a hand on his mentors shoulder. He fought the urge to smile. " Think about your blood pressure"

Dom's bushy eyebrows knitted together in a frown

"What's the worst that can happen, huh?"

The low roll of Dom's knowing chuckle resonated around the hangar

"Sure String, Sure..."

Stringfellow Hawke didn't believe in coincidences, and it seemed his initial misgivings were slowly coming to fruition.

" Hawke?"

"Yeah" Hawke replied, his fingers tightening ominously around the handle of his gun.

"There's an intersection dead ahead. I think we can lose those fellas " Cait glanced across at her passenger. "...Whoever they are"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

After what seemed like an eternity, Cait finally turned the Santini Jeep onto the lot of the movie set, swinging into the first available parking space. Killing the ignition, her hands still firmly gripping the steering wheel, Cait sagged wearily back into her seat. They both sat in silence for a few moments, watching the hustle and bustle through the windshield as the cast and crew went about their business.

"Well..." Cait said finally, turning to look at Hawke "I think we lost 'em"

Hawke scanned the immediate area with a trained eye, and satisfied there was no sign of the blue sedan they'd managed to lose in the traffic on the intersection, he turned to meet Cait's gaze.

"Yeah" Hawke replied gruffly, causing Cait to frown at the deep lines of concern that currently etched his brow.

"C'mon Cait" Hawke urged, already out of the jeep as a familiar sense of unease engulfed him. An unease that made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Let's get this over with"

Cait nodded and quickly exited the jeep, grateful of the comforting warmth of Hawke's hand on the small of her back as he guided her towards the Santini Air trailer.

"Hawke! About time!"

The hand that had occupied the small of her back suddenly grabbed Cait's wrist , bringing the pair to an abrupt halt and as they found themselves face to face with the person they wanted most to avoid. The studio director had suddenly materialized from behind the trailer, and by the thunderous look on his face, Hawke could tell he was in no mood for excuses. A pissed off Victor Kinson was not good for business as Dom had reminded him several times over the past month, and not for the first time, Hawke found himself resisting the urge to punch the man as the Directors gaze fell hungrily on Cait.

"Kinson, you sure know how to make an entrance" Hawke bit out, gathering himself enough to return the directors scornful smile.

"As do you, Mr. Hawke, Miss O Shannessy" Kinson replied, his smile softening slightly as he clutched his clipboard firmly against the chest. "As I always say, better late than never"

Kinson's gaze travelled up Cait's shapely thigh, before reluctantly shifting to Hawke

"What may I ask was the excuse this time? In flight emergency? Sitter called in sick? "

Kinson shook his head slightly "Your fish died... What-huh?"

Hawke slowly removed his aviators, and Kinson was totally unprepared for the icy blast that collided with his expectant gaze

"I don't have any fish"

Kinson opened his mouth to utter a retort and quickly closed it again, noticing the set in the pilots jaw, the tension in his shoulders.

"We, uh- kinda got a little distracted-"

The two men stood toe to toe, Hawke's glare never faltering as Cait moved from behind him, gently squeezing his bicep as she passed. She slid an arm around Kinson's shoulders, attempting to steer him away from a dangerously simmering Hawke. " But y'all got my word, it won't happen again"

Cait smiled brightly, deliberately overemphasizing her drawl as she'd heard from Rhonda in make-up, Victor had a certain appreciation for Texan women.

Victor nodded slowly, and a small smile worked its way onto his face.

"Don't worry, sweet cheeks" Victor said quietly into Caits ear, slipping a hand between her shoulder blades. " I'm sure I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me-"

A red mist descended and something inside Hawke finally snapped as he rushed forward, until his already fragile body slammed into the ground. Suddenly, he was back in the warehouse, the hot intense glow searing his skin as he lay on the damp concrete floor, the smell of twisted metal and burning flesh fresh invading his nostrils, the memories of Lynch and his men storming the warehouse flooding his mind. The palms of his hands still bearing the scrapes of where he'd pulled his battered body over to the dying FBI agent who had saved his life. He scrambled to his feet and yanked his gun from the waistband of his jeans. He'd barely made it out alive that time, but one thing he was sure of, they could torture him or shoot him where he stood, he wouldn't let them lay a finger on Cait.

"Hawke-"

The voice was so quiet, only a person with Hawkes sensitive hearing could've heard it.

"Put the gun away, Hawke. It's ok, it's just a stunt. It's just a stunt"

The roaring in his head subsided, and he turned to look at Cait, who stood beside him, her hand on his arm looking relatively unharmed.

"What the hell was that?" Hawke croaked, somehow managing to find something resembling a voice.

"It was a stunt, an explosion "Cait replied, as Hawke became aware of several crew members running around the set, barking instructions to anyone who would listen "It went off by accident"

Hawke lowered his gun slightly.

"Are you okay" Hawke asked, causing Caits breath to catch in her chest at the warmth and compassion in his eyes.

Cait smiled and gave a small nod.

"Apart from this darn ringing in my ears, I'm just fine"

Hawke returned her smile

"Uh, Hawke -"

They both turned to look at Kinson, who shuffled nervously from foot to foot as he stared wide eyed down the barrel of Hawke's gun, both hands raised above his head.

"Would you... Could you... Please would you put the gun away? " Kinson asked "that is unless you're going to shoot me!"

Hawke looked across at Cait and raised an eyebrow as the director threw back his head and laughed raucously at his own joke.

"No, I mean seriously-" Victor said, the smile slipping from his face "You're not going to shoot me are you? What I said earlier- you know I didn't mean anything by it, right?" He said as he looked pleading at Cait. She bit her lip and her gaze dropped as she fought to stifle the giggle that threatened to escape.

"Hawke- buddy, old pal-" Kinson's gaze fixed on the gun held loosely in Hawkes hand. "Please don't shoot me-"

"Don't tempt me" Hawke scowled as he stowed away his weapon, silently reveling in the look of sheer panic on the directors face.

Kinson exhaled loudly

"Thank God" Kinson muttered as he rolled his eyes to the sky in prayer "Now if you'll both excuse me... Fabio!" He yelled, as he rushed off in search of the culprit of the accidental explosion.

Cait glanced at Hawke and giggled as they watched the Director talk animatedly with a short, dark haired crew member, who they assumed to be the special effects guy.

"That was a little mean " Cait said as she fell into step beside Hawke.

Hawke gaze flickered the the woman beside him, not wanting to admit that maybe she did have a point.

"He deserved it" Hawke replied succinctly, remembering the way Kinson had slid his hand behind her back, whispered in her ear...

"Hawke-"

Cait reached out and took hold of Hawke's flight jacket, forcing him to stop and look at her.

"What happened back there?" She asked, her eyes searching his "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Hawke replied, as Cait's arm fell back to her side. She sighed as Hawke turned and walked towards the trailer, wondering why she'd expected any other answer from the brooding pilot.

"String-"

Hawke hesitated at the use of the softer derivative of his name, and turned to find Cait behind him.

" Y'know if y'ever wanna talk... About anything... y'know I'm always here, right?"

Hawke couldn't help but smile as he lost himself for a moment in Cait's wide honest eyes, and giving into a tug of attraction, he reached out and lightly touched an errant strand of her hair that had fallen across her face.

"I know " he replied, before the mask of impassivity slammed across his features and he disappeared inside the trailer.

Cait watched Hawkes's retreating form through the trailer doorway and jammed her hands on her hips. She couldn't deny she was worried about him, more than she cared to admit. She had never seen Hawke so on edge, maybe even a little out of control. Hawke had always told her the most dangerous enemies were the ones you couldn't see, and whether or not it was Michaels apparent betrayal, or the events in the warehouse, one thing had become clear. Hawke was afraid.

Inside the trailer, Hawke turned off the faucet with a squeak, and swirled his hand around in the luke-warm water, hypnotized by the little whirlpool it created. Hawke gripped the sink and bowed his head as he fought to regain control of his rampant emotions. For a man who had spent most of his life pushing people away, this was a feeling he wasn't entirely used to and it threatened to overwhelm him, a deep seated protectiveness that caused him to point his gun at an innocent man.

Slowly, he dipped his shaking hands into the and splashed his face, closing his eyes at the coolness of the water against his skin. Shaking the water from his hands, Hawke shut the cabinet and glanced up to find a set of piercing blue eyes looking back at him. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes swept over the well worn creases around his eyes, the deep lines that furrowed his brow, telling their own story of a lifetime of sadness and loss. The once-young face of a man that death and destruction seemed to follow, suddenly feeling every bit as old as every one of those man made cracks in those bones of his.

He wondered about the wisdom of letting Cait so freely into his life, inviting her into his home, of taking in Le when he had no one else. The wisdom of knowing he'd do anything, absolutely anything to keep them safe. He'd kill anyone that hurt them without a second thought.

Give his own life in a heartbeat to protect them.

He simply couldn't afford to lose control.

Scraping a hand across the light dusting of stubble on his jaw, Hawke grabbed a towel, and wiped away the last few droplets of water from his face. With one last glance at the reflection of Stringfellow Hawke, he tossed the towel to the side and left the trailer, closing the door behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

Despite the premature explosion on set earlier in the day, the stunt went according to plan, which involved Hawke jumping from a chopper into a moving truck, fighting with the bad guy and throwing him unceremoniously over the side. Kinsons' notable absence from their scene had been an added bonus, presumably in case Hawke revised his decision not to shoot him. Every cloud, Hawke thought wryly. They'd completed their scene in one take, and at some point during the morning they'd found themselves leaning up against the trailer, sharing a styrofoam cup of liquid that professed to be coffee. They stood side by side in a companionable silence, close enough that every so often, Hawkes arm would gently brush Caits.

"I can hear ya thinkin' y'know " Cait said finally, nudging Hawkes shoulder with her own.

Hawke took a sip of coffee and offered it to Cait.

"You can, huh?" He replied with a small smile as Cait wrapped her fingers gratefully around the warm styrofoam.

"Yeah, and I've been thinkin' too. " Cait replied, her eyes flickering up to meet Hawkes. "Y'know, maybe it's not such a good idea if we go and see that FBI Agent after all."

"At least, not right now"

Hawke pushed himself off the trailer and turned to meet her gaze.

"Why?" Hawke asked, his brow creasing in confusion.

"Have you even considered that these guys, whoever they are, might find O'Connor a liability? That they might try an' finish what they started?!"

The corner of Hawke's mouth twitched into a grin.

"Now you're starting to sound like one of Michaels Angels"

"I'm bein' serious, Hawke!" Cait exclaimed, turning to face the pilot fully, her eyes full of indignation

"It had occurred to me they might make another play for O'Connor"Hawke replied, scraping a hand across his jaw.

Cait gaze dropped to the last dregs of coffee in the bottom of the cup

"...and you"

Her eyes lifted to meet his and Hawke sighed heavily

"Yeah" Hawke said roughly "It wouldn't surprise me"

"Then maybe we should wait-" Cait continued hopefully "Y'know, maybe talk to Mi-"

Hawke's head whipped round

"No" Hawke growled, causing Cait to recoil a little at the harshness in his voice. "The less people that know, the better" Hawke replied, gesturing towards a frowning Cait.

"I still can't believe Michael's involved in all of this. It just doesn't make any sense"

Hawke almost smiled at the Texans never ending sense of optimism, marveling at her loyalty to a man who traded in secrets and half truths. His eyes dropped to the floor, and the pilot sighed heavily, before lifting his gaze to meet Cait's.

"All I know is, I flew The Lady straight into an ambush and I don't know who, what or why but I need to get to O'Connor, Cait. Find out what he knows"

Cait nodded, knowing when Hawke set his mind to something, there was very little she or anyone else could say or do that would make him change it.

"Dom said you saved his life" Cait said quietly, looking sideways at Hawke as he resolutely avoided her gaze. Sensing this was a topic best not pressed, Cait continued

"Y'know, Hawke, they'll be expectin' us."

Cait tossed the empty cup into the nearest trash can. "The hospital will be crawlin' with FBI Agents"

Hawke turned to face her, the hint of a smile on his boyish features.

"Then we'll just have to get creative"

Cait returned his smile with a small shake of her head. Stringfellow Hawke still managed to surprise her, even after all these years.

"C"mon, Cait. Let's go" Hawke said, placing a hand on the small of her back as he guided her back towards the Santini Jeep.

Neither of them saw the figure behind the camera as they passed. Neither of them saw the camera lens pointing in the direction of the Santini Jeep as it drove off the movie set.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA

Dominic Santini grunted and shifted position beneath the Hughes 500 as he fought with a stubborn bolt. Hawke and Caitlin should have been back from the stunt over an hour ago to help him with the repairs, although it was nothing unusual for Hawke, he had to admit he was more than a little surprised at Caitlin. He'd resisted the urge to call the set, reasoning if they were in some kinda jam, they'd find someway of contacting him. The stunt probably just overran he'd told himself, after all Kinson was if nothing else, a perfectionist. The impatient shrill of the telephone had Dom pushing the nagging doubt to the back of his mind as he finally managed to loosen the bolt that had evaded him for most of the morning.

"Ev!" Dom yelled after his part time mechanic "Ev! Can you get that?"

"Mama Mia" Dom groused as he scrambled out from beneath the chopper when he received no response from his clearly absent mechanic.

"What the hell do I pay you for, huh? Alright! Alright!" He yelled at the phone as it continued to fight for his attention. Dom was about to grab the receiver when the phone stopped ringing and he rolled his eyes, remembering a similar time not all that long ago, so according to Strings curly wurly logic, they should be ringing back right around- as if on cue, the phone rang again and Dom snatched up the receiver.

"Santini Air" he barked in irritation, his craggy features softening instantly as he recognized the voice on the other end.

"Heeeey! " Dom chuckled "Mac old buddy! I heard you were back in town! What took you so long, huh?" Dom turned towards the open door and leaned his bulky frame against the doorway as he listened to his friends recount of his travels.

Doms bushy brows knitted together in a frown as he looked out across the Tarmac, his gaze alighting on the far side of the Airfield. Just the other side of the perimeter fence sat a rusty coloured station wagon parked up with a direct view into the Airfield. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, but he could've sworn that same station wagon had been parked there all morning.

"Why, sure, I know the place "Dom said, breaking into a gap tooth grin "As a matter of fact-" Dom hesitated and moved the phone away from his ear as he heard a faint, unmistakeable click from inside the earpiece.

"Ah, Mac" Dom said quickly "Listen, I gotta run now, Sure, I'll be there, nice talkin' to ya buddy. Don't leave it so long next time, huh?"

Slowly, Dom replaced the receiver and ran his hand through his grey, wispy curls. He crossed the hangar and quickly glanced outside. Confirming the car was still there, Dom closed the hangar door and made his was back over to the phone. He picked up the receiver once again and carefully removed the cap, exposing a mass of wires and circuitry. His eyes immediately alighted on the small, round object so minute, it would have easily have been missed if someone hadn't been looking for it. Dom's eyes narrowed on the little transmitter in the palm of his hand, and he'd been in this business long enough to know when his hangar had been bugged.

"Son of a-" Dom whispered, placing the bug on the desk. Searching under the workbench, Dom grabbed a hammer from the toolbox and smashed the transmitter into a thousand little pieces, making a mental note to call the movie set right after he'd swept the rest of the hangar for any more unwelcome surprises.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke pulled the jeep into a parking spot outside the entrance of Cedar's Sinai and glanced around, looking for any sign of federal vehicles. The journey from the movie set had been relatively uneventful, and considering the events of the last few hours, this only served to put him even more on edge. Satisfied there were none in the immediate vicinity, Hawke turned to face his passenger.

"You ready?"

Hawke frowned slightly as Cait rummaged through her purse and pulled out a pair of thick, black rimmed glasses.

"I borrowed them from the props department" Cait explained, flushing under Hawke's intense regard. She quickly put them on "Thought they might be useful"

Hawke could only watch in a dumbfounded silence, as Cait glanced at her reflection in the rear view mirror and ran her hands gently through her shoulder length hair, mussing it slightly. In fact, Hawke was still watching as she quickly swept up her hair and pinned it in place.

Cait turned and looked at Hawke over the rim of her glasses.

"So? How do I look?"

Hawke allowed his gaze to sweep over the woman in the passenger seat, and grateful for the mask of his Aviators, he swallowed hard.

"Fine" Hawke said gruffly, shifting in his seat to ensure his masculine appreciation didn't show.

"Just- uh- stick to the plan" Hawke said in attempt to change the subject as Cait adjusted her glasses in the mirror. "You distract them, try and find O'Connor, I'll find a way in round the back. "

Cait's eyes met Hawke's.

"You ready?"

Cait's lips quirked into a smile

"I always am"

Cait reached behind her and grabbed a cheap bunch of flowers from the back seat and straightened her plaid red shirt.

"Well, wish me luck"

Cait got out of the jeep and Hawke immediately pulled away, anxious to find a less conspicuous place for the red, white and blue jeep.

Gripping the bunch of flowers a little tighter, Cait made her way up the steps and taking a deep breath she pushed open the heavy entrance doors.

The reception area was unusually quiet, which didn't really work in her favour, Cait thought ruefully. Her thoughts turned briefly to Hawke and wondered if he'd succeeded in finding a way in. A telephone shrilled somewhere in the distance and a tannoy announcement 'Dr Ross to exam 1, Dr Ross to exam 1' momentarily distracted her before her gaze fell on the solitary nurse sitting at the admitting desk.

"Oh boy" Cait muttered under her breath as she immediately caught sight of the charcoal coloured suit standing next to the desk, barking instructions down the telephone. FBI. Cait attempted to smother the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. They hadn't been wrong. Cait scanned the corridors, from her time in law enforcement she knew they rarely travelled alone, and then she spotted him, a second FBI agent, standing by the vending machine deep in discussion with a doctor.

"Here goes nothin" Cait thought to herself as she approached the admitting desk with a confidence she didn't really feel.

"Good mornin' " she said cheerily, placing a hand on the desk. The young admitting nurse glanced up and returned her smile "I'm lookin' for Ryan O'Connors room? Y'know, tall, dark, handsome FBI fella" Cait clarified in a thick Texan accent when the nurse looked a little confused.

"Oh sure-" The nurse replied, pointing her pen down the hall. "He's-"

Before she could finish, the burliest of the two FBI Agents moved in front of Cait and straightened his jacket. He was young, not unattractive and clearly worked out, Cait observed, as her gaze travelled over his broad, thick set shoulders. Yes, she could definitely work with this.

"What's your business with Agent O'Connor, Miss-?" He rested a hand on his belt, pushing his suit jacket back slightly so his gun was clearly visible in its holster.

The admitting nurse rolled her eyes and continued with her paperwork.

Undeterred, Cait turned and looked up at the formidable figure looming over her slender form.

"Caitlin" Cait replied brightly, precluding giving her surname as she always did on Airwolf missions. "See, Ryan's the second cousin of my Great Aunt Alice on my Mother's side-" Cait inwardly smiled at the confusion in the Agents eyes as he attempted to work out the family connection. "And when she heard about Ryan she just had to come. But then my Uncle Billy had some fool accident on the ranch and darn broke his good leg, so she's still in Texas and can't get here til the weekend" Cait took a deep breath as she regarded the Agent intently, wondering if he'd bought her story.

"So she asked if I could look in on him, Y'know..with me bein' in California n'all"

Cait jabbed the bunch of flowers towards the Agent for effect. The young Agent looked nervously over his shoulder, searching desperately for his colleague who, luckily for Cait, had chosen this precise moment to vanish into thin air.

"I didn't think O'Connor had any family" The blonde Agent replied, eyeing the petite red head suspiciously

"Oh he doesn't" Cait returned easily, suddenly grateful for those acting lessons. She leaned in closer to the bewildered Agent. "Not close family anyways. We're all he's got left"

Cait stole a quick glance over her shoulder, looking for any sign of Hawke in the maze of corridors behind her.

"Ok lady, you've got five minutes" The Agent finally relented, motioning to a room at the end of the corridor "He's in 105"

Cait let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and grabbed the flowers off the desk.

"Thank you, Agent..."

"Phelps. Special Agent Phelps"

"Well, Special Agent Phelps-" Cait said, reaching out and adjusting his tie "Y'are a good guy"

Against his professional judgement, Phelps couldn't help but smile at the Texan with the infectious smile.

"Yeah? Tell that to my ex- wife!"

Cait swiveled on her heel and marched down the corridor, hoping fervently Hawke had managed to find his way into the building. By her estimations, and the two Federal vehicles she'd seen pull up outside the hospital entrance, they had precious little time.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA

Hawke slipped unnoticed round the back of the hospital, concealing himself behind an ambulance as he watched the two black Federal vehicles pull up outside the entrance to Cedars Sinai. He watched as several Agents filed out, and once again, questioned his decision to send Cait in alone.

'Stick to the plan' he'd told her, when here he was, the one considering going against his own instructions. He peered round the ambulance, just as a young porter with an empty wheelchair crossed the ambulance bay and disappeared in through the service entrance. Hawke quickly scanned the area, and deciding there was no-one else in the immediate vicinity, he left his cover of the ambulance and slipped in unnoticed behind him.

Hawke found himself in a service area, with piles of linens marked with the hospital insignia stacked up against both walls. His gaze searched for any likely way in to the main area of the hospital and moving to his left, Hawke rattled a door and cursed under his breath when he found it locked. His thoughts once again turned to Cait, wondering if she'd managed to locate O'Connor's room or whether she was now in the custody of the FBI, or worse.. Hawke's throat closed on the thought. A sound teased the edge of Hawke's hearing, voices outside, the static from a radio, getting louder as they approached his current position. Hawke pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and with a renewed determination, Hawke ducked down behind some large linen carts, pulling them across to conceal himself from the advancing enemy. Hawke peered through the small gap and could just about make out the forms of two FBI Agents, who appeared to have stopped just short of the open service entrance door.

"I'm tellin' ya Reyes, there's nobody here. We've already been through this ."

"Yeah, well this is the Assistant Directors assignment" the other one replied. "So if you wanna keep your badge, Gardino, we stay"

"Dammit!" Hawke muttered, as the Agent said something about the Assistant Director being paranoid. He winced at the sudden pain in his healing ribs, protesting at being stuck in one place for too long and shifted slightly, hoping the Agents were to engrossed in conversation to notice. Through the gap, Hawke watched as the Agents stepped aside to allow two hospital porters dressed in maroon scrubs to pass, and from his hiding place, Hawke could see a large bunch of keys dangling from the first ones uniform.

"How come Phelps got the inside post, huh? The guys a douchebag"

"Takes one to know one Gardino "

"Hey!"

Hawkes gaze snapped back to the door as the porter sorted through the stack of keys and eventually selected one. A sense of urgency encompassed Hawke as the door was pulled open and the porters disappeared inside, leaving the door ajar suggesting they weren't intending to stay.

Hawke made his move. Pressing his back against the wall, Hawke crawled from his hiding place, moving deftly towards the open door, crouching low to avoid alerting the FBI Agents.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I think I heard somethin'"

Hawke froze, his hand hovering above his gun.

"Now who's paranoid, huh?"

"Shut up, Reyes"

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Hawke slid his aching body through the small opening and snicked the door shut.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Stringfellow Hawke had never been so grateful to see the inside of a hospital as he made his way down the corridor, weaving in and out of the busy medics who, thankfully, didn't even give him a second glance. His worried gaze searched the corridor for any sign of Cait, and when he turned the corner for the third time with still no sign of the Texan, the burgeoning sense of concern he'd tried so hard to smother, threatened to bubble to the surface.

"Where are you, Caitlin" Hawke muttered to himself as he turned yet another corner.

It had only been a few days since he'd landed Airwolf on the hospital roof, carrying the lifeless form of of Agent Ryan O'Connor to the waiting medics, but to Hawke, it had felt like a week. So much had happened in the interim. Ryan O'Connor bothered him, who he was working for, where his allegiances lie, but couldn't understand the strange sense of protectiveness he felt for the Agent he'd only known for a few hours. Hawke wasn't a man who trusted easily, and he was determined to get some answers.

Hawke reached the end of the corridor and came to a halt as he caught sight of two Agents stood by what he assumed was the admitting desk. Glancing over his shoulder, the pilot turned on his heel and continued on in the opposite direction, hoping feverently he hadn't been seen. It was then he heard it, a familiar voice, almost a whisper, stopping Hawke firmly in his tracks.

" Hawke!"

Hawke's brow furrowed as he glanced around for the owner

"Cait?"

In one swift movement, Hawke found himself yanked around the corner and pressed against the warm body of Caitlin O'Shannessy, the pair concealed by a shelf full of medical supplies. Hawkes ice blue eyes collided with hers as he pressed a hand against the wall to steady himself.

"Are you alright?" He asked roughly, still firmly pressed against her and having no real inclination to move.

"I'm fine" Cait replied, unable to tear her gaze away from Hawke's. "You?"

Hawke replied with a curt nod.

"I managed to sandbag Agent Phelps and buy us some time with O'Connor" Cait informed him, peering round Hawke's athletic frame and nodding towards the young sandy haired Agent.

"Phelps? "Hawkes eyes widened in surprise "You know his name?"

Caits eyes returned to Hawkes.

"Phelps says he's in 105 across the hall" Cait continued, ignoring Hawke's comment "Although I'm not sure how long he'll believe the story about Great Aunt Alice back in Texas"

His interest piqued, Hawke quirked an eyebrow.

"Another time, Hawke " she replied, patting his chest " C'mon flyboy, lets go"

Cait was the first to move, sliding her body between Hawke and the shelf and peered through the window at the prone form of Special Agent Ryan O'Connor.

""He looks pretty bad, String" Cait told him, looking wide eyed at her companion "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea"

Hawke glanced over his shoulder as 'Agent Phelps' dramatically snatched up the telephone and couldn't help but bristle at the thought of the man.

"Yeah"

Hawke turned back to Cait "He probably is, but I'll only need five minutes" he finished, briefly recalling the young nurse he'd managed to sweet talk into calling him if O'Connor woke.

"Good" Cait replied, a small smile surfacing "'cos that's all we've got"

Hawke squeezed her slender shoulder and took a step into the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the myriad of wires that engulfed the young agent. He lay motionless on the bed, his arms laying still on the crisp, white sheet that covered him from the waist down. Several dressings covered the wounds on his bare chest, and a large, vivid bruise, a plethora of colours covered most of his left rib cage. A fresh bandage had been applied to the wound on his head, and Cait couldn't help the involuntary shudder at the cuts and grazes that zigzagged across his cheek, and the purple, mottled bruise beneath his left eye. As her gaze swept over the injured Agent, it served as a harsh reminder that Hawke had escaped with just a boot to the jaw and injured ribs. This time.

Hawke stepped fully into the room, and suddenly a blinding flash of orange almost knocked him from his feet. The smell of burning flesh and twisted metal filled his nostrils as Cait's screams assaulted his ears. The vision of O'Connor, with every ounce of energy he still possessed, ramming Lynch and laying motionless in the mud, permeated his mind.

"Hawke?" Cait whispered, taking hold of Hawke's arm. "Are you ok?"

"Hawke?!"

Finally, he opened his eyes and met Caitlin's worried gaze.

"I'm ok" Hawke replied, grateful the episode hadn't been as vivid as the nightmares that kept him awake at night. Cait opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again as Hawkes gaze followed the blue line of the heart monitor, the only sign that O'Connor was still in the land of the living. O'Connor stirred at the commotion, and slowly cracked open an eye.

"Ha-wke" he greeted hoarsley, as Cait took up a lookout position in the doorway. "What's a guy gotta do to get some sleep 'round here?"

Hawkes lips twisted into a grin as he grabbed the plastic chair in the corner of O'Connors room and pulled it up to his bedside.

"You look like hell" Hawke observed as his gaze swept over the Agent

""Might have-somethin' do with the fact I feel like I've gone twenty rounds with Hulk Hogan" O'Connor growled with pain as he attempted to shift position.

"How'd ya get past the guard dogs? "He asked, inclining his head towards the door.

"Luck" The pilot replied succinctly,watching as O'Connor lifted his head off the pillow and noticed Caitlin for the first time.

O'Connor smiled broadly as he slowly lay his head back down on the pillow.

"It's not my- birthday Hawke" he chuckled, a chuckle which quickly turned into a painful, spluttering cough. Hawke reached across and handed the stricken, young Agent a cup of water from the nightstand.

"Here, drink this"

"Thanks, man" O'Connor replied when the coughing fit had subsided. "You got any vodka to go with that?"

Hawke shook his head

"Nah. I'm all out"

"Damn shame" O' Connor muttered as he took a grateful stiffened imperceptibly as his gaze returned to Cait and as much as his battered body would allow, O'Connor leaned towards Hawke.

"Is that her?" He asked in an almost whisper, handing the cup back to Hawke.

"Who?"

"Y'know. Your girl? " O'Connor asked, his eyes searching for any kind of reaction in Hawke's. "Y'know...She's real-"

"She's Caitlin" Hawke answered, cutting him off. He replaced the cup on the nightstand and O'Connor silently congratulated himself for evoking the required response from the stoic pilot. "She's a friend"

O'Connor made a mental note to inform his superiors, once he was free from his current predicament.

At the mention of her name, Cait glanced over her shoulder and flashed him a 100 watt smile

"Hey, there"

O'Connors smile widened

"Beau-tiful and Texan" O'Connor said, completely oblivious to the scowl that had settled on Hawkes face. "It's good to meet ya, Red"

"You too" Cait said quietly, her nose crinkling as she smiled at the charming Agent.

" and if I wasn't..." He lifted an arm wearily to draw Cait's attention to the entanglement of wires that were currently keeping him alive "incapacitated right now, and we were someplace different, I'd be inviting you out to dinner"

"Oh-" Cait smiled, turning away slightly, in an attempt to hide the delicate blush creeping up her neck.

"O'Connor" Hawke bit out, a little more forcefully than he'd intended. Through a combination of pain and medication, the young Agent looked back at Hawke with unfocused just hoped the Agent was lucid enough to remember the events from the warehouse.

"I need to know why you were in the warehouse"

O'Connor took a painful breath and exhaled slowly.

"I'd just got back from an undercover assignment in Mexico, takin' down some of the major drug cartels" O'Connor explained, looking up at the ceiling.

"Dirty work"

"No kidding. Two weeks ago, The boss said he had another job for me, came from the Director himself."

"Burns' assault team" Hawke clarified

O'Connor nodded and turned his head on the pillow to face Hawke. "Y'know, Johnny and I, we trained together. We always had each other's back. See that?" He asked, running his fingertips over a small, circular scar on his right shoulder. "Took a round to the shoulder tossin' him outta the way of a sniper." A tear pricked at the corner of his eye as he recounted the memory. "Johnny was one of the best. The whole thing was a set up, man. Lynch's men ambushed them" he finished, almost spitting out the name of his former Superior. "He murdered them in front of me and I couldn't do a damned thing to stop him!" O'Connor slammed his fist down on the bed and yelped in pain

Hawke scraped a hand across his jaw and gestured towards the Agent

"And they didn't mention anything about assault weapons?"

O'Connor shook his head and took a deep breath as he covered his injured ribs protectively with his arm

"Johnny and his team went in first, to sterilise the location. Then I was supposed to go in, and take possession of the consignment. I wasn't told what the consignment was. I was briefed there would be another operative there, inter agency cooperation an' all that" O'Connor replied with a roll of his eyes.

'Politics' Hawke groused to himself as O'Connor continued, licking his dry lips.

"They gave me your file" O'Connor shot Hawke a meaningful look "You sure have a knack for pissin' people off, Hawke"

He coughed violently again and Hawke handed him the cup of water.

"Thanks." O'Connor pushed himself off the bed slightly and unsuccessfully attempted to manouvre the cup around his IV wire.

"You were sent to kill me?"

"O'Connor hesitated, and lifted his eyes to meet Hawke's

"No Hawke..." He paused. "I was sent to watch your back"

Hawke sat back in the chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully

"Who gave the order?"

"Like I said, it came from the Boss himself" O'Connor replied with a shake of his head "That's all I know"

Hawke frowned.

"And the F14's?"

"F14's? Hey man, I don't know anythin' about any F14's." O'Connor exhaled deeply. He groaned slightly as he shifted onto his side and looked frankly at the troubled pilot.

"If you want my opinion, and you probably don't, but I'm gonna give it to you anyway, it sounds an awful lot like someone's tryin' to punch your ticket"

Hawke swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as his thoughts turned to Michael Coldsmith Briggs The Third. Codename, Archangel.

A man that traded in secrets, a patriot to the core and a man of his word. A man he had come to trust, although Hawke never doubted the man's altruistic motives. Hawke remembered it as if it were yesterday, four years ago sitting in the living room in the cabin, they'd struck a deal. Airwolf for St John. Michael had even offered him his protection in exchange for flying missions for the FIRM. Now it seemed, the man he'd considered a friend, was reneging on that deal and those he cared about were being dragged along for the ride.

Hawke glanced over his shoulder and met Cait's hazel eyes. Knowing exactly what Hawke was thinking, her gaze dropped and chewed her bottom lip, in an attempt to reconcile her own conflicted thoughts.

"Y'know O'Connor" Hawke said, shifting in his seat as Cait resumed her watch on the FBI Agents in the corridor. "You sure have a way with words"

O'Connors chuckled faltered as he rolled painfully onto his back

"Yeah, it's one of my more attractive qualities" His green eyes snapped back to Hawke, with a hint of a sparkle that Hawke had been privy to back in the warehouse. "So I've been told"

He folded his hands across his chest and closed his eyes as a fresh wave of exhaustion encompassed the young Agent.

From her position in the doorway, Cait's eyes widened at the three suited men who'd joined Phelps, who were now engaged in what appeared to be an extremely heated discussion.

" Uh-Hawke?"

Hawke glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Cait's voice.

"I think now would be a good time to-" she urged, inclining her head towards the open door. Cait was only vaguely aware of Hawke appearing beside her, as she watched 'Agent Phelps' disappear through the entrance doors, and the two other Agents begin their purposeful approach towards O'Connor's room.

'C'mon " Hawke said, grabbing Cait's elbow "The Jeeps parked around back"

They were half way out of the door, when a small moan had them turning to look at the stricken Agent.

"Hey, Stringfellow Hawke-" O'Connor murmured, barely opening his eyes "Don't you go and forget about me now"

O'Connor's head lolled to the side as sleep finally claimed him, and Hawke couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

"C'mon, Cait" Hawke urged, ushering his friend out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Cait whispered, as Hawke ushered her round a sharp left corner.

"Service entrance" Hawke replied succinctly, glancing over his shoulder for any signs they were being followed. If memory served him correctly, the two Agents that initially had the service entrance covered, were now in the hospital lobby, leaving the exit a few feet in front of them completely unmanned.

"Sure, right. Service entrance" Cait murmured, frowning slightly as her thoughts wandered to the cabin and an overdue long, hot bubble bath. ' Y'know Hawke, would it really hurt if we used the front door once in a while?"

Hawke's lips twisted into a grin as his mind drifted to the crews mission a few months earlier that had seen them return to the jungles of Central America to rescue a Diplomats daughter. The Diplomat in question, happened to be a good friend of the FIRM according to Michael, and Hawke had seen his acceptance of the mission as more of an order, rather than a request.

Dom had thrown his back, leaving he and Cait to fly in to the place where they'd taken down Alzar two years previously and unsurprisingly, El Presidente had been less than thrilled at their return. After a frenetic gun battle and subsequent capture by a corrupt military regime, Hawke and Cait had made their escape crawling through ventilation shafts in the Presidential palace , barely big enough for a child let alone two fully grown adults. Hawke didn't hear the end of it for weeks, although his ad-hoc offer to take Cait's students for a whole month and the promise of a completely, 'non-romantic' meal alone at the cabin had seemed to mollify her at the time.

A flash of movement caught Hawkes peripheral vision and he came to an abrupt halt, causing Cait to barrel straight into the back of him. He caught her wrist in an effort to steady her, and mentally cursed himself for being so distracted with his thoughts. Keeping hold of Cait's wrist, he turned to face his adversary.

"It's been a long time, Hawke"

Hawke's eyes narrowed on the man framed in the doorway. It had been almost eight years, Hawke quickly calculated. The familiar chocolate brown eyes looking back at him had a hard edge to them, a seasoned veteran and one of the best operatives the FIRM had ever had. He'd walked away from the FIRM to go deep undercover on an assignment with MI6 and the CIA, two agencies who notoriously didn't play well together. An assignment so highly classified, that even Michael had not been privy to the details. His dark hair was now flecked with grey, and there were a few more deep lines etched deep into his brow but there was no mistaking the formidable presence of his former friend. Almost with a mind of it's own, Hawke's hand gravitated towards the gun stowed in the waistband of his jeans for the second time that day. Cait's eyes widened at the sudden movement and grabbed his hand. She leaned in, so close that Hawke felt the gentle tickle of her breath against his ear.

"Not here, Hawke" she said in whisper so low, that only someone with Hawkes sensitive hearing would've heard.

"Alex-" Hawke acknowledged, quickly regaining his composure as he resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder for any advancing Agents. He couldn't afford to give this man even an inch.

"And Miss O'Shannessy I presume "

The British accent cut through the silence of the empty corridor.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. " The Agent continued, very well aware of Hawke's propensity of over protectiveness in relation to his female companions.

" I'm Special Agent Alex Marshall. I have to say, that was quite a tale you told to Special Agent Phelps. What was it now, Great Aunt Alice in Texas?" He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

Hawke stole half a glance over his shoulder at the Texan who shrugged a slender shoulder

"Hey, Can't blame a girl for tryin'" Cait replied with a small smile.

"Yes, quite" Marshall replied, resisting the urge to return it. "Phelps always did have a wandering eye. Still, I can't deny it was very resourceful of you. You know, If you ever want a job-"

"Get to the point, Alex" Hawke bit out.

Marshall's gaze slid to Hawke and he inclined his head towards O'Connor's room.

"What's do you want with Agent O'Connor, Hawke? You two went to an awful lot of trouble getting past my men"

"Sick call" Hawke replied succinctly, his face an impassive mask as he returned the Alex's hard gaze with an icy one of his own. "He's a friend"

Hawke paused as his gaze swept over the man in front of him, and couldn't help but notice the poise of the former military operative, the resigned slump in his shoulders and the twinkle in his eye that Hawke remembered all those years ago, now just a dull spark.

"You, of all people-" Hawke added, gesturing towards his old friend. "Should know what that means. " Suddenly, instincts kicking in, Hawke felt the familiar prickle on the hairs on the back of his neck.

Agent Marshall held Hawke's gaze for a moment, then glanced at Cait whom, he noticed was standing much closer to Hawke than she had been a moment ago. During their time in Vietnam and years together at the FIRM, he'd seen women come and go, and none had even come close to penetrating those carefully constructed walls around his heart. The only one to even come close had been Gabrielle, so unequivocally beautiful in so many ways. He'd only known her briefly, when Archangel had found her at fifteen years old and brought her to the FIRM, he'd been tasked as her mentor and had been sickened to the core on learning of her death on assignment in Libya. A life given so cheaply to a lunatic like Moffett. He'd known Stringfellow Hawke long enough to know he probably wouldn't survive if he lost someone else he cared about.

Nodding slowly, Alex exhaled deeply and scratched his eyebrow with his thumb nail.

"Just to make you aware Hawke, I've got orders to arrest you and anyone with you-" Marshall said, looking pointedly at Cait "-and take you all into Federal Custody..."

Despite a small gasp from behind him, Hawke stood firm.

"Orders from who? " Hawke demanded, his stance wavering slightly as Cait's fingers laced with his own.

The Agent almost smiled.

"If I know you as well as I think I do, you've already worked that out" Marshall replied cryptically. He glanced over his shoulder at a small noise at the end of the corridor. "Listen, You've got about three minutes before the buildings crawling with Feds looking for you and your lady friend "Marshall said, looking between the two "I'll hold them off as best I can."

Hawke glanced at Cait, and she gave a nod of understanding at the look conveyed in his eyes.

"Well, go on! " Marshall exclaimed, shoving his hands into his pockets and stepping aside "Before I grow a misplaced conscience and change my mind"

Needing no second invitation, Hawke's grip on Cait's hand tightened and he tugged her towards the exit.

"String-"

Hawke hesitated at the sound of the softer derivative of his name, and slowly turned, the conflict evident on the older mans face.

"I'm..." Marshall paused and rolled his eyes to the ceiling, doubting for the first time in years, the wisdom in affiliating himself with Stringfellow Hawke

"I'm warning you, as a friend Hawke, Don't get involved in this-"

"What the hell is this, Alex?!" Hawke bit out, the frustration of the past few days suddenly bubbling to the surface. He released Cait's hand and took a step forward, his jaw tensing in anger.

"I've been shot at, dodging the military, the FBI and the FIRM and almost blown straight to hell. Quit stonewallin' me and start talking, Alex, I'm in no mood for all these spy games"

"You really don't get it Hawke, do you?" Alex asked with a huff of laughter "This isn't a game. This goes all the way to the top" Hawke glanced at Cait as he felt her fingers tremble beneath his

"It's about more than just that bird you fly-"

At the mention of Airwolf, Hawkes gaze snapped back to Marshall, the veteran Agent almost shivering at the icy blast that met his chocolate brown eyes.

After a moment of silence, the Agent sighed and rubbed a hand wearily across his forehead.

"Look Hawke, all I can tell you is I was pulled out from a deep undercover assignment in the Middle East-"

"By who?"

Cait spoke for the first time and the Agent shrugged.

"The order came from the top. I wasn't given any details, it was on a need to know basis-"

"Let me guess-" Hawke replied with a trademark scowl "I don't need to know-"

Marshall paused for a moment as he considered his next response

"If you want my advice, leave this alone, Hawke."

The Agents gaze slid to the Texan beside him. "People you care about could end up getting hurt"

Cait immediately saw the warning signs. The familiar set of his shoulders, the sudden tense in his jaw and the angry flash in those impossibly blue eyes as he took a purposeful step towards the enigmatic Agent Marshall.

"String-" Cait urged, gently laying her free hand on Hawke's arm and giving it a light squeeze.

"C'mon, lets go home, huh?"

Meeting her gaze, Hawke felt his anger dissipate and gave a brief nod of agreement before turning to leave.

"Hey Hawke"

Hawke hesitated and glanced over his shoulder.

"Please give my regards to Dominic"

"C'mon Cait" Hawke replied gruffly, holding Cait's hand firmly as he tugged her towards the exit, suddenly acutely aware of the sense of unease that had settled firmly in the pit of his stomach. In their haste to leave, they'd failed to notice two figures in a shadowy corner.

You want me to stop them?" came a voice from the cover of darkness. "Sir?"

The figure took a step forward and glanced down at the silver handle of a Rosewood cane that had been placed firmly against his chest.

"No, Jensen. Let them go"

The figure lowered his cane and stroked his moustache thoughtfully.

"But Sir-"

The figure turned to look at his companion, a glint in his one good eye

"I will deal with Stringfellow Hawke"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke and Cait made the journey back to Santini Air in silence. Cait knew him well enough by now to know how to read his brooding silences, and also when to leave him be. She glanced across at Hawke as he shifted in the passenger seat and briefly met her gaze, before turning his eyes back to the road. She played Alex Marshall's warning over and over in her mind, and it concerned her more than she cared to admit. From their run in with the Agent in the hospital, Hawke clearly had a history with this man, former FIRM and British Intelligence Cait had deduced quite early on in the exchange. Hawke had never mentioned him as far as she could remember, and typically, he hadn't proffered any sort of explanation on the journey back. She made a mental note to ask Dom about him later.

Leaning forward, Cait switched on the radio and began to hum along to the music, hoping to detract from her thoughts from the warning Marshall had issued and begged them to heed. This time, the warning had been directed at her. She knew it, and more worryingly, Hawke knew it too.

Hawke shifted in his seat and stole a glance at Cait, his eyes widening behind his aviators as he found her hazel eyes staring back at him. He quickly averted his gaze back to the road, grateful for the protection his sunglasses provided.

He'd insisted on going to see O'Connor for answers, drawing the woman beside him further into this web of deceit and lies. O'Connor had been sent to watch his back he now knew, but by whom and for what reason still eluded him. Hawke frowned as his mind turned to the seemingly erroneous report of a FIRM mole and non existent weapons Michael had fed them, and felt the familiar bubble of anger rise to the surface. The reappearance of Alex Marshall after all these years couldn't be a coincidence.

He didn't believe in them.

Hawke had known him when he first joined the Airwolf project, an unknown plucked from MI6 and the first ever to go head to head against Moffett and won. It was his deciding vote that had secured Hawkes position as test pilot for The Lady, and Moffett had been more than furious, trying to convince anyone from the President down, he should be the test pilot for Airwolf. It was also Marshall that had uncovered Moffett falsifying flight data in order to get him thrown off the project, and he'd finally walked, tired of all the games and subterfuge. After he'd learned about the attack on Red Star a couple of years later, Marshall had already gone to ground, apparently returning to his hometown in Cambridgeshire due to a 'family emergency'.

Michael had told him shortly after Gabrielle's death, he had deliberately kept him away, already suspicious of Moffett's motives, and Hawke had seen it then, the flicker of worry in the Spy's good eye. Apparently, they'd been childhood friends, living next door to each other in the same Neighbourhood, and Michael had wanted him to carry on with the project should anything happen to him or Marella. It later transpired, Alex Marshall had been married to Archangel's sister Ellen.

He'd been family.

A sound teased the edge of his hearing, pulling him half way out of his reverie, and it took him a moment to realise the offending sound was Cait singing along to the radio. He vaguely recognised the song. He'd returned home early from a fishing trip a few weeks ago and would never forget the sight that greeted him when he happened to spy Caitlin through the cabin window. She was in the living room, her hair still wet from her swim, in nothing but a purple bathing suit singing along to the same song, using a hairbrush as a makeshift microphone. He almost dropped his fishing gear in surprise. His allowed his gaze to travel up her legs, and immediately chided himself for thinking about her in that way, even though it was only for a split second. She was his friend. Who happened to be living with him. In his cabin.

Clearing his throat and ignoring the faint blush to his cheeks, he 'd clattered around on the porch, yelling at her through the door, something about Tet, he couldn't quite remember what as he'd been so distracted at the time.

In an attempt to push the picture of Cait and the purple bathing suit to the back of his mind, Hawke reached forward and switched off the radio.

"Oh no you don't, mister" Cait scolded, swatting his hand away. "You know the rules. I drive, I choose"

Cait bit her lip and giggled at the scowl that settled across Hawkes features and he whipped his head round to look out of the window as the radio resumed its assault on his ears. He'd get even with her later, Hawke thought ruefully, wondering when the hell he'd agreed to any such rules. He made a mental note to offer to drive more often, or hide the keys to the jeep where Cait would never find them. Either way, it had the desired outcome.

His thoughts turned back to Marshall and his warning. Alex had known him well enough back then to know Hawkes penchant for pushing people away he cared about and had also taught him an invaluable lesson. Distractions make you weak.

And one such distraction was sitting right beside him. Marshall had warned him not to get involved, implying those he cared about, meaning Dom and Cait, were liable to get caught in the middle. Hawkes throat closed on the thought. He didn't know what the hell was going on at the moment, but one thing Stringfellow Hawke was sure of, he'd hunt anyone down that tried to lay one finger on the red-headed pilot of his surrogate father.

"Penny for 'em"

"Huh?" Hawke turned to look at Cait

"Y'know, penny for ya thoughts" Cait replied keeping her eyes on the road "you've hardly said a word since we left the hospital"

"Sorry. " Hawke replied gruffly, removing his Aviators and tucking them into his shirt pocket "I guess I'm a little-"

"Distracted?" Cait supplied with a small smile

Hawke sighed heavily

"Yeah " he replied, and for the first time, Cait saw a hint of something in those blue eyes she loved so much, before it was quickly replaced by the impassive mask he wore.

"Hey, it worked right? " Cait said cheerfully, strumming her fingers on the steering wheel. Hawke's lips curved into a smile.

"We talked to O'Connor. That's a good place to start"

"Yeah but I'm afraid I have more questions than answers" Hawke replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I guess, but look on the bright side, Hawke. At least you know he's not out to shoot you"

Hawke chuckled at the playful glint in Cait's eye

"Yeah " Hawke gestured towards Cait "You made quite an impression-"

"An impression?" Cait said incredulously, her Texan lilt growing stronger. Hawke silently congratulated himself for being the cause of it. "He may not want to shoot you, Stringfella Hawke, but I on the other hand-"

She looked at him and returned his mischievous smile

"You know I never miss "

Cait bought the jeep to a stop at a set of traffic lights, and took the opportunity to give Hawkes shoulder a reassuring squeeze

"We'll figure this out, String, I promise"

Her unwavering faith never ceased to amaze him, and drawn to her wide, honest eyes, he took the hand from his shoulder, and gently laced his fingers through hers.

"Thanks Cait." Hawke said roughly, in a vain attempt to hide the emotion that laced his words. "I mean it"

Unable to tear her gaze away from Hawkes, Cait nodded slowly.

"I know you do"

Hawke looked down at their still tangled fingers and found he enjoyed the softness of her skin against his own. He enjoyed tracing all the freckles on the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. Suddenly acutely aware the friendly gesture had turned into something much more intimate, Hawke lifted his eyes to meet Cait's. Their gaze caught and held.

"String?"

Before Cait had a chance to respond, Hawke gently tugged her towards him as he leant across the console until they were inches apart. He heard Cait's breath hitch as he drew her closer, and found he could no longer control his own hammering heart. He was out of control and it scared the hell out of him. Whether it was the adrenaline of the events of the last few days, he didn't know but, right now, in this moment he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to.

"Hawke?" Cait said again, her eyes searching his.

Not for the first time, the familiar scent of Cait's berry shampoo invaded his senses and suddenly feeling an urgent need to be close to her, he moved to close the remaining space between them.

Suddenly, from somewhere behind them, the impatient honk of a car horn brought them crashing back to reality. Cait jumped and pulled away, and only a lifetime of suppressing his reactions prevented Hawke from doing the same, the interruption a stark reminder of just exactly what was at stake. They'd been so caught up in the moment, neither one had noticed the lights had changed to green. Cait held up a hand in apology as a driver in a blue convertible yelled a string of expletives and quickly pulled away from the junction.

As her heart returned to somewhat of a normal rhythm, Cait glanced across at Hawke, who sat rigid in his seat. In the time she'd spent with him at the cabin, helping him to take care of Le, she'd finally seen the real Stringfellow Hawke. Kind, caring, loyal to a fault, the gruffness simply a facade, a protective measure. Over time, she'd learnt to read the cues, when she'd managed to get through to him, allowing himself to open up to another person and when he was once again throwing up those infamous walls. Once, over dinner, Dom had even called it an artform. Yet, worryingly, for the first time in a long while, she found him impossible to read. Cait opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again, attempting to convince herself that what just happened, wasn't a complete figment of her imagination. Finally working up the courage to confront him about their almost kiss, she took a deep breath and turned to face him.

"String-"

"Y'know if we take that short cut" Hawke said roughly, gesturing vaguely to his right. We'll be back at the hangar in half an hour " Hawke looked pointedly at Cait and his tone softened "Help Dom with that overhaul"

The next words died on her lips as she realised he was once again throwing up those walls and retreating back into the relative safety of friendship.

"Sure. Right. Help Dom with the overhaul" Cait murmured, almost grimacing at the lame attempt to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Pushing up the indicator a little more forcefully than she'd intended, Cait turned off the main highway onto a single track road. Hawke had stumbled upon the so called short cut when he'd been taking some aerial shots for the Studio, and judging by the lack of any other vehicle within sight, Cait surmised it could have only been used as the local rat run.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly as the Jeep bounced over the rough terrain, silently chiding herself for letting Hawke off the hook so easily. The silence between them was almost deafening as she stole a surreptitious glance at her passenger. His frame remained rigid in his seat and his gaze focussed resolutely on the road ahead, once again masked behind the safety of his Aviators. As usual he was giving nothing away. She returned her eyes to the road and resisted the urge to punch the man next to her in frustration. Just for a fleeting moment, Hawke had given in to whatever-it-was between them, tension that had been building for weeks since she had temporarily moved into the cabin. She was sure Dom had sensed it even though he hadn't said anything outright, hell, even Le had called her out on it. From the age of five, her Mom had repeated the same mantra 'Honey, sometimes in life, you just gotta take the Bull by the horns "

Taking a deep breath, she quickly decided now was as good a time as any to take her mothers advice for once in her life and grab those horns.

"Hawke-" she began, undeterred when she received no response. "What happened back there. Between us-"

She glanced across at the Pilot and frowned as she saw his attention had shifted to the rear view mirror.

"Hawke? What is it? What's wrong?"

Hawke nodded towards the mirror and she soon saw what had captured his attention. A red Toyota pick-up was now following a little way behind, one she hadn't noticed when she'd turned off the main road. She cursed her distracted thoughts.

Before either of them had a chance to react the pick-up sped up, quickly drawing along side the red, white and blue jeep.

"What the-"

"Cait! Get down!" Hawke yelled, ducking for cover as a bullet shattered the side mirror. She slammed her foot on the the gas and pulled ahead of the pick-up, grappling with the steering wheel in an effort to steady the Santini Jeep.

Finally regaining control, Cait glanced over her shoulder

"Hawke! They're comin' back!" she exclaimed, as the dirty red pick-up made another attempt to draw alongside.

"Keep driving!" Hawke growled, snatching his weapon stowed in the waistband of his jeans. Cait obliged, flooring the gas pedal which Dom would no doubt admonish her about later if they somehow managed to come out of this alive. The Santini Jeep lurched forward, throwing Hawke into the side as he took aim at the oncoming pick-up, his gun slipping from his grasp and skidding underneath the seat.

A gasp slipped from her lips as a bullet whizzed past her ear, shattering the windshield and showering her with shards of glass.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Cait attempted to reach the spare gun stowed underneath her seat. Her fingertips brushed achingly against the barrel, and unable to retrieve it, she cursed under her breath and quickly returned her hand to the wheel.

"Hawke!" Cait yelled as two shots rang out, the bullets narrowly missing the Jeep and embedding themselves harmlessly in a nearby tree.

In one swift movement, Hawke dove to the floor, retrieved his gun and returned fire, one of the bullets and bursting the pick ups front tyre. The vehicle swerved dangerously, giving Hawke enough time to take aim and send a hail of bullets straight through the pick-ups windscreen. A splatter of blood on the passenger side told Hawke he'd hit his mark.

The pick-up dropped back to regroup, giving Cait enough time to take a few deep breaths.

'Think, think, think' she thought to herself, as her eyes quickly scanned for any signs of an escape route.

'Damn Hawke and his short cuts!' Cait almost said aloud, as her gaze finally alighted on a break in the tree line.

"Hang on!" Cait yelled, jerking the wheel to the right so violently, Hawke almost barrelled over the side of the open top Jeep.

She glanced over her shoulder as Hawke scrabbled for any sort of hand hold, the top half of his body hanging precariously over the side of the vehicle. Cait's stomach swooped as she could see the pick-up was once again gaining speed, despite the blown front tyre.

"H-Hold it steady, Cait!" Hawke bit out as Cait returned her eyes to the rough terrain in front.

"I'm tryin'!" Cait returned, narrowly missing a formation of twisted tree branches jutting out from beneath the undergrowth. Finally gaining a secure hold, Hawke heaved his body back into the relative safety of the Jeep, unable to stifle a grunt as he was once again thrown into the side.

The Santini Jeep steadied as bullets zinged against the frame. Hawke took aim and fired twice, taking out the Toyota's remaining front tyre causing their pursuers to veer away and disappear beyond the trees. Exhaling a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, Hawke tucked his gun back into his waistband and clambered back into the passenger seat.

"Whoo, those guys meant business" Cait observed as the Jeep returned to somewhat of a normal speed. "Y'think it's got something to do with us showin' up at the hospital?"

Cait looked expectantly at Hawke. "Word sure gets around fast"

"I'd put a bet on it" Hawke replied roughly,turning to meet her gaze. He suddenly froze, the next words instantly dying on his lips.

"-Cait?!" Hawke choked out, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat as he stared at the blossoming red stain on the shoulder of her plaid shirt." You're hurt"

"Huh?" Cait followed Hawkes gaze to the source of his consternation.

"Oh that, it's just a scratch"

Hawke shifted his eyes to meet hers.

"You're ok?" He asked, the initial sense of panic subsiding just a little. He wasn't sure what clued him in first, the flicker or something in her eyes he couldn't quite put his finger on, or the slight waver in her disarming smile, but he knew Cait was being more than a little creative with the truth.

"I'm fine" Cait smiled, her Texan twang enveloping the Pilot in an unexpected sense of warmth. "I've had a lot worse"

Refusing to dwell on her admission, Hawke reached across and gently slid down the material of her shirt revealing the bloody graze, vivid on her milky white skin. Cait desperately fought to keep her attention on the road as his fingers lightly skimmed her shoulder, his touch sending an involuntary shudder to the base of her spine.

"Cait, that's not a graze!" Hawke growled. He gestured towards a clearing in the trees. "Pull over there. There's a first aid kit in the back"

"Hawke- I told you, I'm-"

She took one look at Hawke's face and realised this wasn't an argument she was about to win.

"Fine" she huffed, pressing her foot on the brake.

Nothing.

She pumped the brake again to no effect

"Hawke! The brakes are out! "Cait shouted as she wrestled with the steering wheel "I can't-"

The rushing through Hawke's ears grew louder as the Jeep gained speed, and he knew with his honed sense of direction and from scouting the area for the studio,they only had a mile or so before they hit a steep drop into a gully.

Flinging his body across Cait, Hawke grabbed hold of the wheel and pulled with everything he had, hoping the extra weight would bring the Santini Jeep back under control. Muscles he didn't know he had screamed with the effort and Cait yelped, a blinding, white hot pain searing through her wounded shoulder as they fought for control. Cait pumped the brakes, both of them wrestling with the steering wheel, but it simply refused to turn. Suddenly a loud bang emanated ominously through the trees as the Jeep hit a large rock, sending the Jeep flying uncontrollably through the air. Hawkes breath left his body as the Jeep slammed back to the ground, flipping onto its side like a playing card. He tried in vain to reach across to Cait whose already injured body was being flung about the cabin like a rag doll. The jeep skidded for along the ground in a haze of red, white and blue for what felt like miles, before finally coming to rest in a muddy pool of water. For several minutes, the only sounds that echoed eerily through the clearing were the gentle tick of the engine cooling and the drivers wheel spinning in the air until it finally came to a stop. Somewhere on the periphery of his hearing, Hawke could just about make out the cry of an Eagle, his last conscious thought before everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

Get the hell off me Lady! I said I'm fine!" Hawke growled as he fought with the bed covers in attempt to heave himself out of bed. The young, dark haired nurse dodged a flailing arm expertly, before making an effort to push him back down onto the bed.

"Please, Mr Hawke " She replied, her brown eyes pleading with the Pilot. "You've got a nasty head injury! You must stay in bed!"

Hawke pushed himself unsteadily to his feet as a wave of nausea engulfed him. Running on autopilot, he swatted away the nurses attempts to grab hold of him and their eyes collided and held.

"I . Told. You. I'm fine"

"One wouldn't know it to look at you"

At the sound of the familiar southern drawl, Hawke's head whipped round and frowned accusingly on the owner before he set about pulling out the IV wires attached to a half empty bag that he presumed contained a concoction of painkillers.

Pulling out out the last wire and throwing them onto the bed, Hawke finally looked up at his unwanted visitor . Hawke allowed his gaze to travel over the older man, and reluctantly allowed his burgeoning anger to simmer a little. The Spy had eschewed his white three piece suit, instead opting for a casual white knitted sweater and slacks.. His usually immaculate sandy hair was slightly disheveled and there were dark circles beginning to form beneath his eyes. The light dusting of stubble on his jaw suggested he'd had a rough few days, and whatever Michael was mixed up in, it looked like it was beginning to take it's toll on the otherwise consummate spy.

"Michael " Hawke bit out, without any real heat behind it.

"Hawke." Michael returned, stepping fully into the room despite Hawke's lack of invitation

He ignored the resulting scowl as he gaze swept over the pilot. A large white dressing covered most of the right side of his forehead, and apart from a zig zag of bloody cuts just below his left cheekbone, he seemed relatively in one piece considering the gravity of the crash he'd been involved in. The resulting concussion that he'd sustained had caused the most consternation for the FIRM doctors, and they'd kept him well sedated in order for his brain to heal. It had been Lydia who had informed him of the incident involving Santini's jeep, clattering through his office door in a most undignified manner. Michael had opened his mouth to reprimand his aide, but the look in her eye had the words stuck fast in his throat. It quickly became apparent Lydia and Cait had become friends over the past few weeks, ever since they joined forces to rescue Hawke and Dominic from a corrupt South American General. Angel One had circled the site of the accident, and from the view from above, he could see the prone form of Stringfellow Hawke, half in, half out of the jeep, covered with the unmoving body of Caitlin O' Shannessy. For a split second, he'd thought they were...

Michael swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I heard you were awake terrorising the nurses. I thought I'd pay a sick call and come and see for myself"

Hawke sat gingerly on the bed and propped himself up against the pillows.

"How thoughtful of you" he replied glibly.

"I thought so"

Michael turned to face the nurse and flashed her a pearly white smile.

" Thank you Camille" he said, instantly dismissing her. Glancing between the two men, she quickly hurried out of the room.

"I also took the liberty of consulting with Doctor Shipp" Michael continued, stroking his moustache thoughtfully " He's confident that with some rest, you should make a full recovery "

"What the hell happened?" Hawke asked, the throbbing pain in his temple providing a vague recollection of the Santini Jeep smashing onto its side. "How'd I get here?" The pain killers were definitely beginning to wear off.

"Santini raised the alarm when you failed to return from the movie set" Michael tapped his cane on the floor

"My people found you and brought you to the FIRM medical facility in Foxridge" he finished, deliberately omitting his own presence at the scene. The less Hawke knew, the better.

Hawke rested his head back against the pillow as he absorbed the new information . Dominic. Of course he did. Hawke made a mental note to speak to Dom about that later.

For the first time Hawke took in his surroundings. The small room was sparcely decorated, the on,y furniture a solitary chair in the far corner of the room and a table next to his bed, the former surrounded by a myriad of medical equipment. A vase full of yellow Gerbera daisies occupying the table caught his eye in a room otherwise devoid of colour and almost smiled as his thoughts turned to the obvious culprit.

He grunted as he shifted position, and began to seriously doubt the wisdom of his self deprivation of painkillers. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"How long have I been out?"

He heard Michael clear his throat

"Five days"

Hawkes breath caught in his chest as for a moment he found himself unable to breathe .Visions of the firefight five days ago came flooding back. The Red Toyota Pick-Up, the front windshield shattering into thousands of tiny shards, fighting with steering wheel to regain control of the runaway Jeep. Awareness slammed through his battered and bruised body as he remembered the Jeep hitting a rock and slamming onto its side before coming to a skidding halt, the mournful cry of an Eagle, the weight of Caitlin's unmoving body on top of his own...

Hawke's eyes snapped open

"I need to see Cait!" Hawke exclaimed, sheer adrenaline preventing himself from yelling out in pain as he hurled himself off the bed.

"Take it easy, Hawke" Michael urged, taking a step towards the pilot in an effort to block his exit.

"Don't stonewall me Archangel" Hawke growled, the anger roaring to the surface as he suddenly remembered with clarity why he was so furious with the Spy in the first place. "Caitlin was in the Jeep. Where is she? Is she here?"

Michael met Hawke's steely glare, his gaze unwavering. If he was honest, his motives for keeping Hawke in the dark over Caitlin's whereabouts weren't entirely altruistic, but quickly decided against antagonising the dangerously simmering pilot. That course of action would inevitably lead to him becoming personally acquainted to Hawkes famous right hook.

"Cait was discharged yesterday" Michael told him, his mouth twitching as Hawke visibly relaxed. "As you were.. Incapacitated and Dominic otherwise engaged " Michael gestured with his cane, encompassing the room " I had Lydia fly her back to the cabin"

As the wave of panic subsided, Hawke perched on the edge of the bed, a slight frown creasing his brow as he wondered briefly what could have prevented Dom from picking Cait up from the hospital. Noticing the Pilots sudden change in demeanour, Michaels gaze shifted to the vase of flowers on the nightstand.

Of course he'd been well informed that Cait had been somewhat of a regular fixture at the cabin since Hawke had taken custody of Le. He was in the intelligence business after all, but the news that Hawke had moved Caitlin into the cabin had caught him completely off guard and he briefly wondered if he'd missed a shift in the couples relationship. On a personal level, he was pleased that Hawke might actually dispel this curse he seemed to think he had, and allow himself some happiness, but professionally it was one huge variable he couldn't afford to play with.

He moved to the nightstand and gently brushed his fingers over the delicate petals.

"I have to say, Hawke I was more than a little surprised at your choice of roommate"

Hawke scowled and ignored the flicker of amusement in the Spy's good eye as he made a show of heaving his aching body back onto the bed. Hawke sunk back wearily against the plush pillows and closed his eyes. The brass band that had seemingly taken up residence in his head had come back with a vengeance as he fought to make sense of the ambush on the Santini Jeep.

"I had no idea my personal life was subject to idle FIRM gossip. I'm flattered"

Hawke cracked open an eye to gauge the Spy's reaction and couldn't help but bristle when there was none.

" Get to the point, Michael. I'm in no mood"

Michael slid his glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he sauntered back to Hawke's bedside.

" Caitlin provided us with a description of the vehicle involved " Michael continued, shelving the discussion about Hawkes personal life for the time being.

"But so far we've unable to locate it"

"Figures" Hawke replied grimly, curling an arm around his stomach to protect his already injured ribs . "You can run it through your fancy computers all you want Michael, but this was no accident"

Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

He lifted his head and eyed the Spy suspiciously.

"How did you know where to find us?"

The question hung starkly in the air between the two men. Hawke was certain Dom hadn't told Archangel about the tracker they'd installed in the jeep after Cait's run in with Ken Sawyer, and Dom had agreed under heavy duress not to tell Cait about their little safeguard policy. He'd made doubly sure it hadn't been turned on at the time they'd left for the movie set and neither Dom or Cait had previously been aware of the short cut they'd taken. That left only one other option. He held the Spy's gaze, and Michael almost recoiled at the storm behind his eyes. Whoever it was had almost killed Cait, and he was determined to make those responsible pay.

Suddenly Hawkes blue eyes snapped towards the door as a voice outside the room teased the edge of his hearing. One voice turned into two as they drew closer until the door flew open and Dom's burly frame barrelled through, with an exasperated- looking Caitlin hot on his heels.

"Did I, or did I not say all hell would break loose, huh?" Dom bellowed as he turned to face the red head. Hawkes lips twitched with amusement as he watched the exchange.

"She'll patch Dom" Cait replied, referring to the Jet Ranger that had been damaged in the set explosion. "Besides, if we don't collect on those invoices-"

"Easy for you to say" Dom blustered, cutting her off mid sentence. He wagged a meaty finger " and don't change the subject. "

Cait almost smiled at Dom's rejoinder.

Their jovial banter seemed to sober a little, and the mood in the room instantly shifted.

Dom removed his cap and swiped a hand across his forehead. " I don't know Cait, first my chopper, then my Jeep. I don't like this one little-"

"Hawke!" Cait's eyes lit up at the sight of the Pilot, sitting up in bed looking a lot healthier than he had done five days ago.

She shot Michael a look he couldn't quite decipher, before she rounded the bed and slid her hand over Hawkes.

"Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes" Dom said with a gap tooth grin as he shouldered his way past the white clad spy, causing him to take a few steps back. Michael rolled his eyes.

"Dominic. " Michael greeted " Still socially couth I see" he commented faceasouly. Dominic shot him the famous Santini glare before turning his attentions back to Hawke, laying his red satin cap on the bed.

"Caitlin. You're looking well. "

Cait looked up at the Spy.

"You and I both know that's not true, but thank you" Cait replied with a half smile. Her gaze flickered back to Hawke

""Hey you"

"Hey Yourself" he smiled a genuine smile as she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek which he greedily accepted. He instantly felt the loss as she pulled away, and realised with some chagrin that he'd secretly enjoyed her attention. In fact, his cheek was still burning where her lips had touched his skin.

Michaels gaze slid from Hawke to Caitlin as he surveyed the pair with interest.

"How'ya feelin, kid?" Dom asked, placing a meaty hand on his shoulder and squeezing it lightly.

Hawke reluctantly pulled his hand from Cait's and rubbed his chest as he glanced at Michael who thankfully, had chosen to remain silent.

"I'll live" Hawke replied gruffly, not wanting to clue His friends in on just how much his injuries had taken their toll on his aching body. Michael knowing was already one too many.

" Sorry about the Jeep, Dom"

"Ah now, don't you worry about it, ya hear?" Dom replied, waving a hand dismissively "I'll take you kids any day of the week."

The three smiled happily at each other before Michael cleared his throat.

"I hate to interrupt the reunion-" Michael began, his good eye glittering with what Hawke could only describe as mirth.

Dom harrumphed emphatically and jammed his hands on his hips.

"Oh sure. I've heard that one bef-"

"Dominic- a word?" Michael said, inclining his head towards the door. Dom arms lowered to his side and he glanced back at Hawke and Cait's questioning looks.

"Only one, huh? That'll be a first "Dom grabbed his cap and jammed it over his grey curls, before following the Spy out of the room leaving Hawke and Cait alone.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA

Cait waited for the door to close before she sat in the chair and held up the detached IV wires.

"You'll live, huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Caitlin-" Hawke growled

"Fine. Have it your way" Cait replied, knowing a warning when she heard one.

She tossed the redundant wires back onto the bed. For the first time since she arrived, Hawke allowed his gaze to sweep over the red headed pilot sitting beside him. She wore a simple blue sweater and jeans, and her strawberry blonde hair, softened by the Californian sun, fell loosely about her shoulders. Her left arm rested in a sling as a result of the gunshot wound she'd sustained in the firefight and other than an angry scrape across her cheek, she seemed relatively unharmed.

Hawke reached across with his one good arm and linked his fingers with Cait's, wincing at the raw, bloody scrapes across her knuckles. Inpulsively, he ran the pad of his thumb over the wounds.

"Are you alright?" He asked hoarsely, his ice blue eyes meeting hers. For a split second, Cait almost found herself overwhelmed by the look of concern that had temporarily replaced the impassive mask he usually wore.

"Am I alright?!" Cait exclaimed, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "Stringfella Hawke, don't you ever do that to me again, ya hear?"

She felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye as her gaze dropped to their joined hands.

"You scared me to death"

Hawke opened his mouth to mutter an apology, anything that would offer some comfort to the woman in front of him, but the words stuck fast in his throat. In one swift movement, Hawke swung himself off the bed, wrapped and arm around her waist and pulled Cait into his embrace, closing his eyes as she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry" he said finally, indulging himself as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.

"Apology accepted"

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he felt her Texan twang rumble against his chest. She pulled away slightly and looked into his his eyes.

"Just don't let it happen again, ok flyboy?"

A rare smile graced his boyish features as one hand slid to Cait's hip and the other he placed over his heart.

"I wasn't plannin' on it" Hawke said roughly as Cait raised an eyebrow quizzically

"Scouts honour"

"Scouts honour?! "Cait exclaimed as Hawke relinquished his hold on her waist and sat back down on the bed. "You were a scout?"

Hawke nodded

"For a month" Hawke glanced at Cait as she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"OK a week before Sinj and I were kicked out"

Cait's eyes searched Hawkes

"What'd ya do?"

"Set fire to a tent"

Hawke couldn't help but smile as Cait exploded into fits of laughter and quickly decided it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He wanted to hear it again. And soon.

"Ohmygod Hawke!" Cait exclaimed as she regained her composure. "I bet Dom was furious!"

She shook her head at the mischievous glint in his eye.

"Listen, String-" Cait said, causing Hawke to frown at the seriousness in her voice.

She quickly filled Hawke in on the events of the last few days, from the bugs Dom had found in the hangar, to the call Dom had made to the FIRM when they failed to return from the stunt.

"Yeah"

Hawke replied, getting to his feet and searching through the cabinet beside his bed

"Michael filled me in with the classified version"

He stood up and looked around the room with a scowl

"Where are my clothes?"

"You think Michael had something to do with the accident?" Cait asked wide eyed, her hand coming to rest on her sling.

Caitlin was conflicted. Over the past three years and everything the team had been through together, she'd come to think of the Assistant Director of the FIRM as a friend and struggled to believe that Archangel had made such a blatant attempt on their lives. She knew from experience, if Michael wanted someone eliminated, the person would simply disappear. She also knew that if Hawke had been thinking rationally, he'd come to the same conclusion, as the attack on the Jeep had been sloppy and certainly didn't bear the hallmarks of a FIRM hit. Yet Hawke was afraid, yo yo-ing between drawing her close and pushing her away. All the facts were just a fog in her normally sharp mind, but one thing she was sure of, she trusted Hawke with her life.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore, Cait" Hawke replied, turning to face her. Blue eyes collided with hers. " one thing I am sure of, I don't believe in coincidences. Michaels people knew right where to find us. Everything points to him, Cait and it sets my guts on fire"

Cait desperately wanted to tell Hawke he was wrong, offer some sort of plausible explanation for Michael's recent aloofness, but words failed her.

" Where's Half Pint?"

"He's at Billy's" Cait replied, chiding herself for not mentioning it sooner. With all the commotion, Cait had almost forgotten that Le had gone to the Oshiro's for a sleepover all weekend.

" Don't worry " Cait smiled softly, taking a step towards Hawke. Hawke's gaze dropped as Cait rested a hand gently on his forearm. " I called Carol. He's fine."

Hawke gave a brief nod before his gaze alighted on a small cupboard in the far corner of the room.

"Hawke- what about my place?"

Hawke hesitated and turned to face his friend

"Your place?"

"Yeah, I mean if the FIRM bugged the hangar, and I'm sayin' IF-" Cait replied, holding up a hand as she recognised the shift in Hawke's eyes "Logically they would have done the same to my apartment if they wanted information about Airwolf"

"And they'd have you under surveillance" Hawke replied as he flung open the cupboard doors in search of his clothes only to find it empty.

"They know you're staying at the cabin, Cait. Dammit ! Where the hell are my clothes?!"

Their heads swivelled towards the door as Michael sauntered through, followed by one of his aides who carried the elusive garments on a hangar.

"Looking for these, Hawke?" Michael asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

Hawke scowled at the Spy. If he didn't know better, he could've sworn Michael was enjoying this. Michael inclined his head towards his aide and she dutifully obeyed, laying his clothes neatly on the bed before leaving the room.

" I thought you of all people would be able to talk him out of this rash course of action" Michael said to Cait with a resigned smile. Cait shrugged her good shoulder in response.

"You thought wrong, Michael" Hawke said gruffly, vaguely wondering where the hell Dom had got to. "I'm checking out"

"Yes, so it seems" Michael turned, as a short, stern looking, curly haired nurse appeared, framed in the doorway.

"Just what is going on here?" She asked with a frown that accentuated her pinched features. She surveyed the guilty looking trio over her half moon glasses before she scurried to Hawke's bedside. Before he could protest she grabbed his wrist, studying the watch attached to her uniform as she monitored his pulse.

"Mr Hawke, you are in no condition-"

"Look Lady-" Hawke began, ignoring Cait's reproachful look. "I told your colleague. I'm fine. I need to get-"

Hawke almost growled as a sudden pain rippled through his fragile body. He doubled over, and fell back onto the bed as the nurse folded her arms across her ample bust.

"I'm sorry. Mr Hawke, I have my orders"

"Then change 'em"

Hawke glared at Michael before he felt the warmth of Cait by his side.

"String-" She laid a hand on his shoulder

"Tell her Cait. I mean what I say"

"It's true." Cait said, looking at the nurse sympathetically "He does"

The nurse looked beseechingly at Michael before raising her hands in defeat

"Fine. "The nurse replied" You'll complete all the paperwork I presume? Saying Mr Hawke left against all medical advice?"

Hawke gave a brief nod of acquiescence as she turned to Michael, deliberately ignoring the mulish pilot. She'd raised four sons into adulthood and quickly came to the conclusion they'd all been a breeze compared to one patient named Stringfellow Hawke.

"Of course Greta. I'll make the necessary arrangements" Michael replied. He forced smile as he glanced between Hawke and Cait before he swivelled on his heel and limped towards the door, leaning heavily on his cane. His fingers froze around the handle and feeling The Pilots impenetrable gaze on the back of his neck, he turned back to face him

"It's good to see you, Hawke"

Then he was gone.

Cait glanced down at Hawke once the Michael had left the room, wondering if he too had sensed the hint of regret in the Spy's voice.

She quickly got her answer as a wave of tiredness suddenly engulfed him, and Hawke collapsed back onto the pillows as Greta began to tidy away all the equipment from around his bed. He closed his eyes as he allowed the sounds to lull him into a light sleep and Cait couldn't help but smile as she watched him, his long, dark lashes fanned out against his cheekbones. She reached across and gently pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"We used to be like that, you know"

Cait had been so focussed on Hawke, she'd barely heard the nurse speak.

"Huh?"

"My husband and I" The nurse replied, pacing some tubes on a trolley. "When we were your age"

"Oh-" Cait replied attempting to hide the flush that rose to her cheeks . She withdrew her hand and clasped them in her lap. She bit her lip as she considered her next response

"Like what?"

Greta smiled a smile that set off her deep blue eyes, so full of wisdom.

"In love" She replied simply.

"Oh no- we're not-"

Greta gave a huff of laughter at Cait's vehement denial.

"Honey, If I had a dollar for every time someone said that, I wouldn't be working here" She rounded the bed "Caitlin is it?"

Cait nodded

"He's a lucky man" Greta replied, looking down at Hawkes sleeping form.

"I'm sorry Ma'am if you've got the wrong impression-" Cait began, her brow furrowing.

"My husband worked for the FIRM for thirty years" Greta told her, regret lacing her every word. "Towards the end, he became a stranger. To me. To his children. Full of secrets"

She shook her head sadly.

Cait glanced at Hawke and reached across to take a sip of the water on his nightstand

"What happened?"

"My youngest son was four " Greta replied, throwing Cait a knowing look. "He was killed on an assignment with a young Rookie"

Cait's stomach swooped as she digested the older woman's words.

"Michael" Cait whispered, the water turning to ashen in her mouth. Greta nodded.

"We lost so many years because of this business" She took a deep breath

"Don't make the same mistake I did"

Cait's gaze dropped to Hawkes sleeping form.

"It's complicated "

"It always is. My husband was just as stubborn as this one, and he needs a good woman like you to set him straight"

Cait smiled

"He's stubborn as a mule. That's part of what I love about him-" Cait caught herself, before she revealed any more. Cait stood and squeezed the nurses hand.

"I'm gonna find Michael. If he tries to escape in the next twenty minutes, you have my permission to hog tie him to the bed. "

Cait grinned at the older woman before she left the room in search of the Deputy Director of the FIRM. Greta took one last look at Hawke before following Cait out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. In the silence of the room, eyes of cerulean blue gently fluttered open.


	16. Chapter 16

Somewhere in Maryland, Colonel Charles Lynch marched down a deserted corridor flanked by two marines. A necessary measure he felt, for this clandestine meeting in a disused building, once owned by the FIRM. The irony was certainly not lost on him. He cut a formidable figure in his pristine military fatigues, the medals on his chest serving as a reminder of all he had given for his country. Of the men he'd lost in war.

Over twenty five years in the Military, it had taught him never to underestimate an opponent, and with Stringfellow Hawke he'd almost made a fatal error. He had done just that. A brilliant strategist out in the field, he did what had be done and he truly admired the man for that reason alone. He was a worthy opponent.

Lynch came to a halt and rapped on the solid oak door. He glanced down the corridor as he waited, his hard gaze travelling over the stark magnolia walls where paintings of presidents gone by once hung in their element. He almost shivered as a ghostly chill nipped at the sleeves of his jacket.

The door finally opened, and Lynch stepped into the dimly lit room. His gaze alighted in the oval table in the middle, bathed in a funnel of sunlight from the only window in the room.

"Charles. What brings you here?" Sam Cullen sat at the head of the table, his hands clasped together on top of a pile of Manila folders. Any surprise at the Colonels arrival quickly vanished as he rose to greet his unexpected visitor.

"I want answers" Lynch demanded, nodding towards his protection detail who took their places outside the door.

"Really Colonel. Is that necessary?" Cullen asked, nodding towards the two marines guarding the door.

"As you know, Cullen. I never take chances. "

"Of course not"

The two men glanced over their shoulders as a small flame emanated from the right hand of Marcus Jensen.

"Marcus-"

The young man looked up and quickly snapped his zippo lighter shut.

"Sorry Boss" he replied, stashing his lighter back in his pocket.

" Get the door, Marcus" Cullen ordered inclining his head towards the open door.

"Sure"

Jensen shoved his hand through his mass of dark curls and quickly crossed the room to the open door.

" I believe you know my associates" he said, holding out his hand to encompass the table.

Lynch's gaze slid to the others seated at the table.

"Jim Roach. Field operative with the FIRM I believe " he said as the Agent stood and took his hand in a firm handshake. "I've read your file. Impressive"

"Thank you, Colonel" the sandy haired Agent replied, before taking his seat. The younger man next to him shot to his feet.

"Agent Perrott, FBI" He said eagerly, shaking the Colonels hand with vigour. Lynch looked the Agent up and down before his gaze slid to the third person who stood with a little less enthusiasm. He raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued . Dressed in a sharp black trouser suit, her dark hair pulled back into a pony tail, the Colonel grasped the female Agents outstretched hand.

"Agent Ava Torres. NSA" she said steadily, her dark eyes meeting the Colonels.

Cullen retook his seat and gestured towards any empty chair next to Roach.

"Please have a seat"

Lynch rolled his shoulders and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Fine. Suit yourself"

Cullen reached forward and plucked a file from the top of the pile. He opened it and began to scan the contents.

"I heard about the debacle in Pennsylvania."Cullen continued "It seems we all left empty handed"

"My team were compromised" Lynch replied, "But I think you already know that"

Jim Roach shifted in his seat before he spoke

"Hawke is a more than capable operative" He offered, earning a glare from Torres. " It's a mistake to underestimate him. Nobody can truly to be ready for a man like Hawke"

Cullen closed the file and and returned his gaze to Lynch

"Maybe I have underestimated Hawke, and overestimated your abilities, Colonel?" Cullen said, leaving the military man wondering where'd he'd found this new found confidence. Cullen was no more that a petty criminal, a nuisance.

Lynch inclined his head as a figure stepped from the shadows, the silver handle of a rosewood cane glinting in the shaft of sunlight.

"Charles. It's good to see you again"

"I wish I could say the same, Archangel" Lynch replied, taking a step forward "You deliberately omitted the fact that Santini can fly Airwolf"

Eyes of hazel met flint grey and Michaels unwavering gaze didn't confirm or deny the accusation.

"We had Hawke and the FBI Agent pinned down. They had nowhere to go until Santini and Airwolf almost took out my men"

Cullen's eyes widened at this new piece of information.

"So, Santini can fly Airwolf" He tapped a finger on the file. "What about Hawkes lady friend?"

"She has nothing to do with Airwolf. "Michael replied "Which brings me to the reason why I called this meeting"

Michael rounded the table and stood at the end opposite Cullen.

"This morning, I paid a visit to the hospital. Five days ago, parties unknown attempted an unauthorised hit on a jeep belonging to Santini Air"

His gaze slid from Cullen to Lynch.

"A hit, Sir?" Roach asked " You sure they just weren't in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

Michael shook his head

"Hawke and Caitlin O' Shannessy were shot at by a vehicle we have so far, been unable to identify, before their vehicle suffered an almost catastrophic malfunction" he glanced at Roach who raised an eyebrow. "It was a miracle no-one was killed"

"What makes you think this was anything more than an accident?" Cullen asked

Michael hesitated before he spoke. He quickly decided against revealing that his people had been first on scene, transferring Hawke and Cait to the nearest FIRM facility and the fact they'd also conducted a thorough inspection of the Santini Jeep and found the brake lines cut.

"Hawkes word"

The room fell into silence as Michael took the opportunity to glance around the table and mentally congratulated himself when he noticed Agent Perrott's head duck lower than the others.

"Which brings me to the question, if I didn't authorise it..."

The Spy glanced at Lynch.

"Come on Michael. You've known me ten years" The Colonel replied with a twisted smile. "You know that's not how I operate. If I wanted someone dead, they'd never find the body"

Michael tapped his cane on the floor.

"What about the assault team?"

Lynch cleared his throat.

"We were surprised. Hawke and Agent O'Connor were never meant to find those men"

A slight movement caught Michael's peripheral vision as Agent Torres shifted uneasily in her chair.

"I know that, Charles " The Spy replied, turning back to Cullen.

A sickly smile settled on his tanned features and he sat back in his chair

"You got me, Mike" he said "After the Colonel failed to capture Hawke and secure Airwolf, I was forced to take action"

Michael limped towards Cullen, desperately trying to smother the anger that threatened to explode.

"That action was not authorised!" Michael exclaimed, in a growl of a voice he hardly recognised as his own.

"I gave you Stringfellow Hawke on a plate" Michael spat, swivelling on his heel to face Colonel Lynch "No repercussions, and you-" he continued, jabbing the bottom of his cane into Lynch's broad chest. "Colonel Lynch, muffed it"

Lynch's steely gaze hardened as he shoved the cane away and took a menacing step towards the white clad Spy.

"I think you're forgetting who's in charge here, Archangel" Cullen replied calmly, rising from his chair. "It would have worked if I hadn't underestimated the capability of Miss O'Shannessy at the wheel"

Michael's gaze dropped to a spot on the floor and pushed as visions of Cait's unmoving body draped over Hawkes permeated his mind.

"Believe me, nothing would please me more than to see Hawke getting what he deserves" Michael replied quietly. He pushed his his wire framed glasses up his nose "But Caitlin O' Shannessy has nothing to do with what we're trying to achieve, Sam"

Cullen dipped his head to meet Michaels good eye.

"It sounds to me like you're having second thoughts about the whole operation"

Cullen stepped across the room and stood beside Colonel Lynch.

"Are you in love with her?"

Michaels head snapped up

"Who? The girl? Don't be absurd!" Michael exclaimed, bringing himself to his full height.

"Tell me again, Michael. Why is it you've turned your back on the FIRM and your deal with Hawke?"

"I have my reasons" Michael replied. "Hawke and I had a business arrangement that is no longer beneficial to me"

Looking suspiciously at the Spy, Cullen returned to the table and pulled out another file which bore the FIRM insignia, marked classified.

Michaels eye widened as he instantly recognised the file number. A56-7W

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"You're not the only one with connections in high places, Michael"

Michaels mouth opened, then closed again as he attempted to gather his thoughts.

"Agents-" Michael said, swivelling on his heel to face the table. "If you wouldn't mind giving us a few minutes-"

The scraping of chairs brought the meeting to an abrupt end. The Agents gathered up their things, and Agent Torres followed a guilty looking Agent Perrott out of the room.

Michael quickly filed it away for later use. Jim Roach placed the last of his files in his briefcase and snapped it shut, taking his time in stark contrast to the other two Agents. As he drew level with Michael he hesitated, and caught the flicker of worry in his blue eye before it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. With a quick nod, Roach made to leave the room, but not before barrelling into the athletic frame of another dark suited Agent, who seemed to materialise from thin air. Eyes of Hazel met Chocolate brown, and Roach almost smiled at the brief recognition that flitted across his weathered features. With a nod of acknowledgment, Roach rounded the newcomer and left the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Michael" he said as Jensen closed the door behind him.

"Traffic"

Michael dipped his head and stroked his mustache as attempted to conceal his widening smile.

"I have those files you asked for"

"Thank you Alex " Michael replied, taking the files from his outstretched hand.

Michael turned to face Cullen and Lynch.

"This is all we have on St John Hawke" Michael told them, handing them the files as Alex Marshall perched on the edge of the desk and rolled up the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt.

Lynch snatched the file from Michaels hand before Cullen could, covering both men in a thin layer of dust. Lynch cleared his throat as he quickly scanned the contents before handing it reluctantly to Cullen.

"As you can see Gentlemen, the search for St John Hawke over the past three years has turned up nothing but dead ends" Michael explained. "We have every reason to believe St John Hawke is dead, which renders the deal between Hawke and I obsolete"

"If this is true "Lynch began, his gaze flickering over the Spy's shoulder to Alex Marshall.

"What is it that you want?"

The question hung starkly in the air between the men, before Michael's southern drawl filled the silence.

"I want Airwolf"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke healed quickly.

Dom had appointed himself nursemaid, flying up to the cabin most days much to Hawkes chagrin, bringing the soup and groceries, enough to feed a small army. Despite a few grousing comments about 'Mother Santini' or simply being absent when he arrived, truthfully he was grateful for Dom's attentions, although he would never admit it. If not for himself, but for Caitlin. He'd even volunteered to have Le for a few days after Hawke had been discharged to give the couple time to recouperate without a teenager charging around the cabin and had also arranged for Doc to pay a visit to the cabin to check on Cait's wound. Cait's injury had been a little more serious than first thought. The bullet had caused some minor damage to the muscle around her shoulder, and although out of the sling, menial tasks were still proving a little difficult despite her protests to the contrary. The final blow had came when Dr Shipp grounded her for the next two weeks, and with the mixture of painkillers she was taking, Hawke had quickly found out that a grounded Cait was like taking a red rag to a bull. Unfortunately, due to their current living situation, Hawke bore the brunt of her frustrations. Several times a day she reemed the pilot out over Tet's domestic habits, from chewing up her favourite tennis shoes, to drooling all over the couch. One evening, she'd even accused Hawke of breathing too loudly when they'd been eating dinner, solidifying firmly in Hawke's mind, why he'd steered clear of cohabitation for so long. Hawke had taken several spontaneous fishing trips with Doc after that.

"Shoot!"

Stringfellow Hawke frowned as a loud clatter emanated from the kitchen, and grabbing a sweater, Hawke quickly descended the stairs from the sleeping loft.

"Cait?" He called, pulling the sweater on as he reached the last step.

"Caitlin? Is everything alright?" He asked as he entered the kitchen. His gaze alighted on the Red head, who crouched down and began snatching up various pots and pans from the floor.

"Everythin's just dandy"

Hawke almost smiled at the thick Texan drawl he loved so much. Cait pushed herself to her feet and dumped the offending utensils on the counter.

"You need help with anything?" He asked cautiously, his trained eye scanning the room for the quickest means of escape as Cait resumed her flurry of activity in the kitchen.

"Nope"

Cait reached up on tiptoes in a futile attempt to grab the skillet off the top shelf.

Hawke shoved his hands into his jeans pocket and rocked back on his heels as Tet relinquished his favourite position by the hearth and cowered behind the couch.

"Chicken" Hawke thought to himself before turning his attentions back to Cait.

"You sure?-"

"I said I'm fi-"

The words died on her lips as a sharp pain rippled through her shoulder.

"Hell!" Cait mumbled under her breath, massaging her shoulder in attempt to rid the dull ache that had settled there. Hawke crossed the kitchen, his hand dropping to her hip as he reached up and grabbed the skillet from the top shelf. Cait turned and found a set of piercing blue eyes staring back at her.

"Your shoulder still hurt?" Hawke asked, gesturing towards Cait's injured shoulder.

"It's a dull ache" Cait admitted, taking the skillet from Hawke's hand.

"Thanks for the save, by the way"

"No problem"

Giving in to a tug of attraction, Hawke reached out and gently tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Cait? You sure you're ok?" he asked, his brow furrowing. Cait shook her head and pulled away from him, bowing her head and grabbing the counter for support.

" I keep runnin' the crash over in my mind" Cait told him "wonderin' if I coulda done somethin' differently"

"Caitlin-"

"No, Hawke, hear me out. " Cait said firmly, turning back to face him. " You're used to all this kinda stuff. Me, I'm-"

She shook her head as words failed her, and Hawke's heart almost broke as he realised, this feisty, ex cop from Texas was actually doubting her herself. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in his arms and tell her just how much she meant to him.

"Cait I want you to listen to me" Hawke said firmly, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You are the smartest, most capable person I know. You did everything you possibly could"

Cait cuffed away a solitary tear

"I don't know why I'm crying"

"Shock" Hawke replied succinctly, gently rubbing the tops of her arms.

"I heard what you said to Michael in the hospital."

Hawke hesitated, inclining his head.

"I'm sorry I scared you"

Cait held her breath as she saw a mere hint of something in those blue eyes before it quickly disappeared.

With a heavy sigh, Cait made her way to the couch and flopped down, staring pensively into the flames that flickered cheerfully in the hearth. Deciding the coast was clear, Tet slinked from his hiding place and jumped up on the couch and with a wide yawn, he settled himself protectively at Cait's side.

"Maybe we're lookin' as this thing the wrong way"

Cait looked at hopefully at Hawke

"Maybe this isn't anythin' to do with The Lady"

Hawke scraped a hand across his jaw

"Maybe"

Cait looked back into the flames, looking for any sort of inspiration, an epiphany of sorts.

"Y'know, It could be-" her voice trailed off and she shook her head

"I don't know, Hawke"

Cait leaned her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes, gently massaging her temples in a bid to rid her of the headache that had settled there.

"I still can't believe Michaels involved." Cait continued, vaguely aware that Hawke was no longer in the kitchen. She felt his leg brush against hers as he sat beside her on the couch. "I don't even know how to act when he's around. Hell, all I wanna do right now is bean him with a two by four!" She exclaimed, eliciting a chuckle from Hawke. A mad Caitlin O'Shannessy was certainly a force of nature.

"Act as you always have" Hawke replied, watching her carefully as she scratched Tet absently between the ears

"Put those acting lessons of yours to good use"

Cait opened her eyes and looked at Hawke.

"Act 'normal' you mean" Cait said, quirking an eyebrow "Y'know, lately, I'm not even sure what 'normal' is anymore"

A twinge of guilt niggled away in the pit of his stomach. He and Dom hadn't meant her to get so involved with Airwolf yet, he'd been the one to draw her further into his life.

Pushing himself to his feet, Hawke made his way to the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey! Half-Pint!"

Cait's brow furrowed as the younger Hawke appeared at the top of the stairs looking quizzically at his uncle. He was no longer in his school uniform, instead opting for his basketball shorts and his favourite 49 er's shirt.

"How about we all catch a movie?"

"Now?" Le asked as he bounded down the stairs

"Why not?"

Le glanced over Hawkes shoulder at Cait, who shrugged, indicating she had no idea what had prompted the suggestion. They were both well aware of Hawkes's dislike for crowded places.

"We can grab some dinner at the Texas Roadhouse too if you want. My treat"

Cait's eyes widened in surprise as Hawke caught her gaze. The Burger place wasnt particularly to his liking, but it was Cait's favourite and he knew his nephews penchant for their Ranch Burger. He was suddenly in the mood to indulge his family.

"What about my homework?" Le asked, his dark eyes surveying his uncle suspiciously.

"It can wait a coupl-a hours"

Hawke leant down, using his hand to conceal his lips

"Truth is, " Hawke murmured in Le's ear, not so quietly that Cait couldn't hear "Cait here, needs cheering up. I need my favourite wingman to show the lady a good time"

Hawke winked conspiratorially at his nephew.

"Why didn't you say so!" Le exclaimed as Hawkes eyes collided with Cait's. She bowed her head and bit her lower lip in an effort to conceal her small smile.

"Don't worry Uncle String" Le said, striding nochalantly down the rest of the staircase.

"I've got your back"

"That's good to know" Hawke chuckled, squeezing his skinny shoulder. Le grabbed his jacket from the stand as Hawke rounded the couch and held out his hand to the confused Texan

"You ready?"

"Ready?!" Cait exclaimed as Hawke grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"String, I-" the words died on her lips as she glanced around the kitchen that looked like it had been hit with a maverick rocket. Hawke leaned in, his light breath against her neck sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

"C'mon woman" Hawke said, his deep gravel tones reverberating in her ear. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards the cabin door.

"Get your coat"

Hands still firmly on her shoulders, Hawke marched her towards the coat stand.

"Hawke! I can't just-" Cait protested, turning in Hawkes arms. "Dom needs me to go over the Bellasarius contract. He'll be here in an hour"

"So?" He said with a shrug "Dom can wait"

"C'mon, Cait" Le pitched in, opening the cabin door. "Uncle Dom will be fine as long as there's a steak in the refrigerator"

Cait had to admit the kid had a point. Feeling her last excuse evaporate, She jammed her hands on her hips as her gaze slid between the two Hawke's.

"Do I even get a say in all this?"

"No" they replied in unison, before Le took off up the jetty to start the pre-flight checks. Hawke held out her jacket, and with a sigh she slid her arms through and Hawke eased it gently onto her shoulders.

She turned to face him, his hands still on her shoulders.

"You don't have to do this, Y'know"

"I know I don't"

Cait's breath caught in her chest as she caught Hawke's unguarded expression.

"Thank you"

Without warning, Hawke hooked a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her against his chest.

"You're welcome"

He dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head as the sound of the choppers rotors filled the cabin.

Hawke instantly felt her loss as she pulled away, and resisted the urge to take hold of the hand against his chest.

"You're a good guy, Stringfella Hawke" She said, flashing him one of her 100 watt smiles.

"Just don't let it get around, huh?"

They smiled at each other contentedly, before Hawke held out an arm.

"After you"

Cait had barely taken a step out of the cabin, when she swivelled on her heel and rushed over to the cabinet where Hawke kept his radio.

"I almost forgot-"

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and quickly scribbled a note to Dom telling him where they were, and that there were steaks in the refrigerator for him and Tet.

"Now I'm ready"

Hawke watched as Cait walked up the jetty, signalling animatedly with his nephew who sat in the co-pilots seat. In fact he was still watching as they swapped places, Le laughing at something Cait had said, before clambering into the back, his usual position when the three of them flew together. From his position at his masters feet, the blue tick hound cocked his head to the side and let out a whine as Hawke retrieved his Aviators from his jacket pocket and hooked them over his ears.

A pair of doleful brown eyes met his, as Hawke glanced down at his faithful companion.

"Yeah"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Dominic Santini sat alone in his office, staring sightlessly at the new work schedule Cait had created the previous week. For once, he was glad of the peace and quiet, the maintenance of the Jet Ranger abandoned for the day. He'd sent Kevin and Ev home early, and had talked Cait and Hawke into running some errands that would keep them busy for most of the morning. Downed tools littered the work benches and iron filings covered the floor, but today, it was the furthest thing from Dom's mind.

He knew Hawke had cottoned on to his distraction over the last few days, but Hawke being Hawke had figured he'd tell him when he was ready. He'd seen the occasional glance between Hawke and Cait when he entered a room, but mercifully they'd said nothing, and he suspected that was more Hawke's doing than Cait's.

His mind cast back to the conversation he'd had with Archangel outside Hawke's hospital room. He revealed he'd spoken with Dr Burke regarding the older mans condition, and as he hadn't made a follow up appointment with Dr Stern, he'd taken the liberty of doing it for him. It had taken every ounce of restraint Dom possessed not to punch the spy, instead telling him simply to 'mind his own beeswax' before marching out of the hospital.

As Cait's familiar scrawl blurred on the page, Dom pushed the schedule away, his thoughts turning to the appointment he'd had with Dr Stern first thing this morning. He'd told Hawke and Cait he'd had an early morning charter he'd booked last minute, and thankfully, despite Cait muttering about nothing being in the diary, the couple hadn't questioned it.

The appointment had gone as expected, and surprisingly Dr Stern had found him to be in reasonably good health, despite echoing Dr Burkes words to slow down and radically change his diet.

"Slow down" Dom chuckled to himself as he turned the page over, to see the amount of work they had scheduled in for the next month. His eyes flicked up to survey the hangar, his whole livelihood he'd built from the ground up, he wasn't about to let it all go that easily. He'd watched Hawke and Cait grow closer over the last few months, and hoped more than anything, the man he'd raised as his own was ready to drop his guard and finally let Cait in, this little health scare had given him a harsh reminder of his own mortality.

The low rumble of a car engine pulled Dom from his thoughts, and shoving the new schedule into his in tray, he made his way out into the hangar.

"C'mon Cait. You know the Director was yanking my chain!"

Hawke swung his athletic frame out of the hired jeep and grabbed the brown paper bag off the back seat. "Dom's threatened never to work with him again!"

"I know that, but did you have to auto rotate off the roof?"

Hawke smirked, his eyes hidden by his aviators.

"How was I supposed to know he gets airsick?"

Cait jammed her hands on her hips and chewed her bottom lip as she fought the urge to smile.

"I gotta admit, it was kinda funny" Cait replied with a giggle "I didn't know anyone could turn that shade of green!"

Hawke chuckled

"It'll keep him honest" he replied with a wink. With a shake of her head, Cait grabbed the bag from Hawke and felt the warmth of his hand on the small of her back as they made their way towards the hangar.

"Hey Dom!" Cait called as they entered "Mario's were all out of Meatball Marinara so I got you Baloney!"

Dom stood in front of the jet ranger, his red satin baseball hat skewed to the side as he surveyed his damaged chopper. His hands jammed on his hips, he shook his head dejectedly

"Would you look at this!?" He bellowed, gesturing towards the vivid black scorch marks that cut through the red white and blue stripes. "Did I or did I not say if there was so much as one itty bitty scratch on my chopper, there'd be hell to pay, huh?"

He swivelled on his heel to face the couple, his bushy eyebrows so low, they were almost covering his eyes.

"Like I said Dom, she'll patch" Cait replied, throwing him a wrapped sandwich.

"Cait's right"

Dom groused in Italian as Hawke perched on the edge of the workbench.

"Besides we've got bigger things to worry about"

"Oh I'm sorry, honey" Dom said, turning to Cait as he unwrapped his sandwich.

"How did the stunt go this morning?"

Hawke and Cait glanced at each other before Cait spoke

"This aint about the stunt"

Dom paused, his sandwich halfway to his lips

"Oh?"

Dom's eyes widened as Hawke shoved his hand into his jeans pocket and threw several familiar looking transmitters onto the workbench.

"We stopped by Cait's place to pick up a few things. We found these"

Dom's eyes met Cait's.

"The same ones you found in the hangar"

"Aww this is nuts!" Dom gestured animatedly as he paced up and down in front of Cait.

"I don't know who to trust! I'm tell in' ya I'm not cut out for all this...ah...these spy games and espionage"

He swivelled on his heel and turned to face Cait

"Hell, last week, I even accused the mail man of being a double agent!" Dom finished, thrusting his sandwich towards Cait to emphasise his point.

"I know what you mean, Dom" Cait replied darkly, and Hawke once again felt the familiar pang of guilt gnawing away at him in the pit of his stomach.

"So?" Dom asked looking between Hawke and Cait "What now?"

Hawkes gaze slid to Cait

"I think it's time we got some answers" Hawke replied gruffly, pushing off the workbench he was using as a perch. "First thing tomorrow I'm going to Knightsbridge. I wanna see Michael look me in the eye and tell me he's not behind all of this"

"Right" Cait nodded in agreement, "Don't you mean we?"

Dom's low chuckle caused a rare smile to surface on Hawkes face and as his gaze slid to the older man, a warmth encompassed him, knowing he could trust Cait and Dom with his life. Dom nodded towards Cait and gave her a quick wink.

The three friends ate their lunch in silence, contemplating what the meeting with Archangel would bring.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Special Agent Timothy Perrott shifted uncomfortably in the drivers seat of the dark blue sedan that sat stationary just beyond the perimeter fence of Van Nuys Airport. A few strands of dark brown hair were matted to his forehead, and every muscle in his body ached as a result of their third hour of surveillance in the sweltering mid morning sun. Perrott unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves in an futile effort to cool off and quickly Swiping away a bead of sweat, his gaze shifted to the passenger seat. His chocolate eyes narrowed on the man next to him as he bit into a large cheeseburger, his gaze following the the large dollop of cheese that squirted out of the bun and plopped onto his tie, obscuring the face of scooby doo that had tortured him for most of the morning.

"You're disgusting Walters, you know that?" Perrott said eventually, tearing his eyes away from the dark patches of grease splattered across the other mans white shirt. "You should carry a health warning"

Detective Walters just smiled as Perrott turned his attention back to the object of the stakeout.

"How'd ya get this assignment anyways" Perrott asked, opening his water bottle and taking a fortifying sip. "I didn't think the LAPD were in on this gig"

"What c- I say?" Walters mumbled, his mouth full of cheeseburger "I got three ex wives and alimony to pay"

He chuckled at the irony and glanced across at his partner.

"You want some?" he asked, thrusting his cheeseburger towards the young Agent. Perrott swiftly raised his hand

"I'm good. Thanks" Perrott returned his attention to the Airfield.

"Suit yourself" Walters replied, taking another large bite

Perrott almost heaved a sigh of relief as the radio stashed in the console crackled to life.

"Unit one. Come in"

Perrott was too quick for Walters, grabbing the radio before his partner could even react.

"This is Unit one. Go ahead, sir " Perrott answered, resting his elbow on the frame of the open window.

"Unit one, do you have an update?"

"Hawke and the girl found the bugs at the apartment, Sir. Unit threes been keeping tabs on the place. It's the first time she's been back in weeks. "

His thumb released the transmit button for a brief second, as the heat rose of the Tarmac in shimmering waves, he could just make out the bulky frame of Dominic Santini exit the hangar to greet a visitor.

"Santini's opened the hangar as normal" Perrott informed his superior, as Santini slapped the unknown male on the shoulder in greeting. "Someone's just arrived. I can confirm that it is not Stringfellow Hawke. There's no sign of the girl either. Unit one out"

The visitor entered the hangar, and Santini seemed to hesitate for a moment before following his friend inside.

"Copy that Unit One"

Perrott dropped the radio back into the console and tugged absently at his shirt that had started to cling to his athletic form.

"He's either brave or stupid" Perrott muttered to himself

"Yeah, well I've heard things about Hawke and Santini-"

The Agents gaze snapped to his LAPD partner.

"What things?"

Walters paused, before running a hand quickly through his thick mop of unruly curls.

"Things that would keep you awake at night"

He held Perrott's gaze for a moment before wrapping up the last of his burger and throwing it into the footwell.

Perrott's eyes rolled heavenwards at the brief reprieve. When he got up that morning, he never anticipated sitting in a car that reeked of fast food for three hours in the scorching sun, staking out a near deserted airfield for a super helicopter that may or may not exist.

He had to admit, that transfer to Quantico was sounding more and more appealing.

The radio suddenly crackled back to life, pulling Agent Perrott from his reverie.

"All units return to base immediately for debriefing. All units return to base immediately"

Needing no second invitation, Agent Perrott started the engine, and paused as a familiar sound teased the edge of his hearing.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Perrott ignored The Detective and instead tipped his head towards the sky as a chopper he recognised as a long ranger landed deftly on the Tarmac. His eyes narrowed on the chopper, as a male matching Hawke's description exited first, followed by a female, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, long hair whipping around her shoulders under the backwash of the slowing rotors. He'd studied the file extensively enough to know the female in question had to be Caitlin O' Shannessy. He was still watching as Hawke rounded the chopper and reached out to take the hand of his female companion.

"C'mon man. You heard the guy. Let's go" Walters urged. With one last look at their joined hands, Special Agent Perrott shifted the heavy gear stick and reluctantly pulled away from the Airfield.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

"Dominic Santini! Would you get in here!"

Cait yanked open the filing cabinet and tucked the last of the financial reports safely away in the drawer

"Dom?!"

Pushing the drawer closed, she surveyed the desk, quickly shuffling a small stack of papers into something resembling an order. Several files sat neatly on Dom's desk, all with sticky notes of varying colours marked 'urgent' and underlined in red. Twice. All remained untouched from yesterday, causing her to mutter under her breath.

Dominic Santini and his laissez-faire attitude towards paperwork really would be the death of her. Checking her watch, Cait grabbed her bag and keys and hurried out into the hangar.

"Hawke?!"

"Over here!"

Cait followed the voice, the man in question concealed by the red white and blue Jet Ranger.

" String? I know how you get when you start work on Doms choppers, so I left you a reminder about the Halston job at four thirty"

Cait informed him as she rummaged through her bag.

"I hadn't forgotten"Hawke replied, peering at her over the top of the Jet Ranger. David Halston, Senior aide to Senator Grant had hired Santini Air on reputation as the would-be Presidents primary transportation and with Grant's close ties to the FIRM, Hawke had a more than sneaking suspicion that Michael had been responsible for orchestrating the whole thing. He'd shared his suspicions with Dom and Cait, and could almost hear Doms words

"Hey! Who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth!"

So he'd said no more about it.

Whilst Hawke tolerated Halston, Senator Grant's eldest daughter Charlotte had been a different proposition entirely. The beautiful, intelligent socialite who had a string of high profile lovers, had made it clear from the very beginning she was interested in the Pilot, and whether he wanted it or not, Charlotte Grant had definitely grabbed his attention. He dipped his head to conceal his smirk as Cait continued to rummage through her purse.

"Shoot! I knew I put it in here this morning" Cait mumbled, more to herself than anyone.

"Listen, Le's got a study group after school, so I'm gonna run those film canisters over to Paulie before I pick him up. I should be back at the cabin before dinner"

Hawke jumped down from his vantage point on the ladder and wiped his hands on an oily rag.

"Half-Pint never mentioned anything" Hawke replied with a frown as Cait ducked under the tail and joined him at the bottom of the ladder. Dom glanced up from the fuel gauge he'd been tinkering with and surveyed the exchange with interest.

"Yeah he did" Cait responded matter of factly. "Remember two nights ago right before dinner?" Cait raised an eyebrow at Hawkes blank expression

"Or were you too preoccupied with Ms Grant to listen?"

The mischievous glint in her eye wasn't lost on Hawke, as she flicked back her hair mimicking the socialite. Doms chuckle rumbled from from the corner of the hangar, earning a familiar scowl from Hawke. If truth be told, he was a little relieved at Cait's incessant teasing. Whilst Charlotte was most definitely attractive, Cait hadn't perceived her as a real threat as she had done with so many women in the past, and at least it had kept Cait from knowing the real object of his preoccupation. He'd clocked the blue sedan parked outside the perimeter fence the minute he and Cait had returned from the stunt that morning and he was almost certain They had also been staking out Cait's apartment, firmly cementing in Hawkes mind he'd do everything in his power to keep her at the cabin.

"Fine" Hawke bit out, throwing the rag on the workbench. "I'll just go and wash up"

He turned to head to the locker room when he felt a light hand on his forearm.

"Hawke-"

He froze under her touch, but still refused to meet her gaze.

"I'll be fine. Promise"

Hawke almost winced at the softly spoken words, remembering all too well the fate of the last woman that had made such a declaration.

"'Sides, you wouldn't want to keep the Client waitin' now , would ya?"

Hawke glanced down at the hand on his forearm, and his eyes finally met Cait's, his expression unreadable. Their gaze caught and held

"Dom's three thirty cancelled " Hawke replied slowly, acutely aware of the simmering tension between them. "I'm sure-"

"Hey, you can count me out" Dom interjected, suddenly materialising beside Hawke." I gotta last minute charter to Mexico. I won't be back til tonight. Sorry kid"

Hawkes gaze shifted sideways

"Let me guess. Queenie" Hawke replied through gritted teeth.

"Hey! A little R and R never hurt anybody, huh?" Dom chuckled, folding his hands across his expansive chest.

"You'll be back in time for dinner, right?" Cait asked hopefully.

"Sure I will sweetheart. I wouldn't miss it" Dom replied with a gap toothed grin. Defeated, Hawke stalked back over to the chopper and snatched up a wrench from the toolbox. Cait's eyes flickered to Hawke

"What about you?" Cait asked, sensing the pilots darkening mood.

Hawke took a deep breath before he answered.

"Not sure. I'll probably bunk here, get a head start on the Huey " Hawke replied, gesturing towards the cot in the back room. Dom' s bushy eyebrows lowered at his surrogate sons sudden u turn.

"Fine. I'll see you tonight, Dom " Cait said brightly, determined not to indulge Hawke in one of his brooding silences.

"Sure thing, honey" Dom replied with a wave as Cait turned on her heel and hurried out, unaware of Hawkes steely gaze fixed firmly on the door of the hangar.

Dom glanced at the younger man who had suddenly found a smear of grease on the hangar floor particularly interesting. His broad smile slipped from his face as he moved over to where Hawke was sitting in the open door of the Jet Ranger, his arm resting across his bent knee. Dom cleared his throat.

"You mind tellin' me what that was all about?"

Hawkes gaze flickered to his mentor.

"It's complicated "

"Complicated, huh?" Dom mused, silently grateful that he'd managed to finally get Hawke on his own. The two men spoke at the same time.

"Listen kid-"

"Dom if this is about Cait-"

Dom shook his head as Hawke's swivelled over his shoulder, his gaze alighting on the stretched black limo that had rolled to a stop outside. Cursing yet another interruption, Dom followed Hawke to the doorway, muttering under his breath. The two pilots watched as a door opened, and a man they could only assume to be the driver, chesnut hair slicked back and dressed in a pristine charcoal suit, climbed out.

Hawke's trained eye quickly swept over the man. He was at least six feet tall, his eyes hidden behind tinted sunglasses. His posture indicated military, probably former, Hawke deduced as he noticed a slight limp in the man's gait as he rounded the car and opened the rear door for the occupant that had yet to exit the vehicle.

Dom's bushy eyebrows climbed to the top of his forehead, as a very long, very tanned leg appeared, a hideously expensive cream stiletto shoe, Hawke had seen one just like it in one of Cait's magazines, caressing her toned ankle. The other one soon followed, and the slender form of Charlotte Grant finally appeared. Dom whistled approvingly through his teeth as she thanked the driver, smoothed out her grey pencil skirt and set her dark, sultry gaze firmly on Hawke. Unexpectedly, his tangled thoughts turned to Cait and the conversation they'd had in the hangar earlier. The Texan had called him out more than once on his deep seated overprotectiveness, and with her continuing presence at the cabin, it was getting harder and harder to ignore the feelings he fought so hard to bury. With everything that had happened, maybe this was just the distraction he needed.

"You gotta hand it to the lady, she sure knows how to make an entrance" Dom commented

"She sure does " Hawke grinned, handing Dom the wrench he was holding.

Hawke disappeared inside the hangar, and Dom could only watch, his mouth slightly agape, as Charlotte fiddled with a pin in her hair, freeing it so the long, ebony curls cascaded down her back.

Hawke reappeared and slapped his surrogate father on the shoulder.

"Don't wait up" Hawke said, with an enthusiasm he didn't really feel. Dom rolled his eyes and muttered something incomprehensible in Italian. Hawke was halfway to the limo, when he stopped, and turned to face the older man.

"Hey, Dom. What was it you wanted to talk about?" Hawke asked, as the image of Charlotte Grant leaning seductively against the limo, caught in his peripheral vision.

"It's-ah-nothin'" Dom replied, waving a meaty hand dismissively. "It'll keep. You kids have a good time, now"

Hawke considered his response. He knew Dom had been distracted lately. So distracted he'd even made a double booking which thankfully Cait and found and rectified, before it had cost Santini Air a contract. Cait had initially brushed it off, putting it down to the amount of work they had scheduled, but Hawke knew otherwise and he could tell by the tone in Cait's voice, she was worried too.

Saying nothing, he gave Dom a curt nod and left the hangar, oblivious to the frown set across Dom's craggy features.

He watched as Hawke slid an arm around her tiny waist, and led her to the Long Ranger, waiting on the Tarmac.

The sound of the rotors filled the hangar and Dom took his cue to return to his office, crumpling into the nearest chair. Closing his eyes, his rubbed his forehead in a futile attempt to rid himself of the dull ache that had settled there. Opening his eyes, he reached forward and pulled open his desk drawer, tossing out old invoices and newspaper clippings before his large fingers closed around a beige file, bearing the logo of the FIRM's legal department. Setting it on the desk, his eyes scanned the front, the words 'Last Will and Testament ' burning into the page.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Caitlin O'Shannessy was the epitome of organised, one of the more welcome traits she had acquired from her mother. After dropping off the film canisters to Paulie Newton-or Newt, as most people called him, she'd stopped quickly for groceries, before pulling the flame red rented Jeep into her usual parking spot outside Van Nuys Academy with ten minutes to spare.

Drumming her manicured nails on the steering wheel, Cait checked her watch for what felt like the millionth time, as the last of the students began filter out of the wrought iron gates. Le's study group had finished almost fifteen minutes ago, and there was still no sign of the teenager.

'There's gotta be a reasonable explanation' Cait thought to herself , mentally chiding herself for indulging herself in Hawke's paranoia.

'But it's what's kept him alive for so long'

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, as she watched the last student, a sandy haired boy about Le's age, tie askew, rush out to a waiting SUV.

'Maybe I should go and look for him'

She was so lost in her internal debate, she almost jumped at the sharp rap on the window.

With her best O'Shannessy scowl firmly in place, she turned to face the culprit, only to be met with a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes. She immediately recalled the strong jawline with the light dusting of stubble that made her heart flip flop in her chest and the

broad shoulders that had been entrenched in her mind from the first moment she'd met him.

Quickly, she rolled down the window.

"Hey" he smiled, his handsome face appearing in the window. " Cait isn't it?"

"Sure is" She smiled, "Jack, right? Le's soccer coach"

"Guilty as charged" he chuckled "Whatcha still doin' here? The kids left twenty minutes ago"

Of their own volition, Cait's eyes followed his toned forearms as they came to rest on the open window frame.

"Le had a study group after school" Cait explained, grateful for the opportunity to tear her gaze away and focus on the palatial building in front of her. "He should have been out by now"

Cait frowned, chewing her bottom lip as she studied her watch again

"I must admit, I am a little worried"

In an effort to conceal the small smile tugging at his lips, Jack Stone straightened and tugged open the Jeep door.

"Well in that case, we'd better go look for him"

"That's not necessary, really" Cait said hurriedly, stepping out of the jeep "I don't wanna cause any trouble"

He was definitely taller than she remembered, as he reached over her head and pushed the jeep door closed.

"It's no trouble" Jack replied "I bet you ten bucks I know where he is"

Cait lifted her eyes to meet his. They were so close, his large frame almost engulfed her, and she fleetingly wondered how those strong arms would feel wrapped around her.

"Shall we?-" he asked, his eyes flickering towards the school.

"Oh. Yeah" Cait smiled "we should"

An awkward silence fell over the pair as they strolled wordlessly towards the school. Never one for being at a loss for words, this was entirely new to Cait.

Mercifully, Jack cleared his throat.

"I have to admit, I was a little surprised when I first met ya"

Cait raised an eyebrow quizzically

"What I mean is-" Jack replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his grey sweatpants, the school crest emblazoned on the side. His gaze dropped and never once, in his thirty three years, had he been this tongue tied around a woman.

"I'm a friend of his Uncle's " Cait supplied, sensing his discomfort.

"Ah yes, Stringfellow Hawke and the rustic cabin in the woods" Jack smiled, catching her eye. "Le's told me all about it"

They stopped at the gate, and Jack produced his school ID, showing to the bored looking security guard stationed in the poky little portacabin who waved them through.

"That's a little exaggerated" Cait smiled. Now it was Jacks turn to raise an eyebrow

"Only reachable by helicopter? I hear you're quite the pilot"

As their arms brushed, Jack felt Cait stiffen imperceptibly and briefly wondered if he'd pushed the red head too far.

They walked through the Academy Gardens towards the main school building, an Eighteenth Century Manor House towering magestically over them, the late afternoon sun casting shadows across the lush manicured lawns. Cait thought it had never looked more beautiful.

"Le tells me you fly stunts in movies" Jack said eventually. Cait had to hand it to him, he was, if nothing else, persistent. "That must be...fun"

Cait almost smiled at the inanity of the word.

"Sure it is, most of the time " Cait replied, giving nothing away. Hawke and Dom had trained her well.

"Well, I gotta say, I prefer to keep my feet firmly on the ground" Jack smiled, as they stopped by a row of topiary bushes. He turned to face her, and their gaze caught and held. The gentle breeze picked up, and Jack reached out to brush an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh" Cait murmured, dipping her head in an attempt to conceal the faint blush to her cheeks. "Thanks"

"No problem"

Jack took a deep breath and looked absently around the estate

"Listen, Cait, I'm not usually this forward with women, especially ones I've just met-" he paused, searching her eyes with his own. "But I like you, and I'd quite like to get to know ya better. Maybe we could... I dunno... grab a coffee sometime?"

Before Cait could reply, a shout from across the expansive main lawn had them turning in search of the owner. Le Van Hawke jogged towards them, pushing his dark mop of hair out of his eyes as he struggled with his oversized rucksack, just managing to hook it over a slender shoulder.

"I think we've found the reprobate" Jack forced a smile, hoping his disappointment at the interruption didn't show.

"I think you might be right" Cait smiled as Le finally reached them

"Hey Cait." Le said, a little breathless from his sprint across the grass. "Sorry I'm late. Sarah's dad has got courtside tickets to the Lakers game on Saturday!" he explained, the words tumbling out of his mouth as his dark eyes glittered with excitement. Cait had more than a sneaking suspicion the the blonde with the striking blue eyes had been, at least part of the reason for his lateness.

"Can you believe she asked me if I wanted to go? Can I?"

Cait shrugged a shoulder

"It's fine by me. I'll talk to Hawke"

"Thanks Cait" Le beamed, seemingly oblivious to the palpable tension between Cait and his teacher.

"Well, Now you've found him, I got work to do. it was nice seeing you again, Cait" Jack said sincerely. His gaze slid to the youngster " I'll see you at practice "

"Bye coach" Le replied as Jack raised a hand in farewell. Cait watched as he shoved his hands back into the pockets of his sweatpants and jogged back across the main lawn, swerving slightly to avoid a sprinkler that had suddenly sprung to life.

"Soooo" Cait said, placing a hand on Le's shoulder as they walked towards the gates

"How about we grab a soda on the way home, huh? " Cait suggested, eliciting a grin of approval from Le " you can tell me all about these courtside tickets!"

"It's gonna be great..."

From his position, half in half out of the solid oak doors of the main building, Jack Stone watched as the unlikely pair disappeared through the school gates. He smiled and manouvered the rest of his athletic frame through the gap in the door, pushing it closed behind him. If he wasn't sure before, he was almost certain now. Yes, Caitlin O'Shannessy definitely intrigued him.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Stringfellow Hawke threw the last of the tools into the tool box and jumped down from the tail end of the Jet Ranger as the last rays of the warm Californian sun once again bathed the hangar in a warm orange glow. As he lifted the box down, he caught his elbow on the ladder, causing a hammer perched on the lid of the box to topple over the side, falling to the floor with an eerie clang that echoed around the empty hangar. Dom had left several hours ago and without Cait's vibrant energy, the hangar was entirely too quiet.

The short flight with Charlotte had been pleasant enough, and the promise of something 'extra curricular' after her business meeting had been heavily implied, as at some point during the flight, she'd managed to slide an immaculately manicured hand onto his thigh. Surprising even himself, Hawke had politely declined, leaving the irascible Senators daughter fuming in her seat. Hawke had surmised rather quickly, she wasn't used to men turning her down, and found his thoughts wandering to Cait, and whether or not she would be reading one of those infernal gossip magazines of hers, or taking up most of the dining table helping Le with his homework. Hawke found himself smiling at the thought.

Doc's phone call half an hour ago had proved a welcome distraction, reminding him of the opening of his new girlfriend Anna's bar across town at the weekend, that in all honesty, Hawke had completely forgotten about.

He was half way to the lockers when the telephone trilled impatiently on the desk. He had half a mind to leave it, whoever it was could call back in the morning, yet the familiar prickle on the back of his neck had him moving towards the phone, beckoning him like a moth to a flame.

He'd barely made it to the office when the caller rang off, and cursing under his breath he quickly changed out of his overalls into a blue plaid shirt and jeans and began closing up the hangar for the evening. He'd almost made it out of the hangar door to his motorcycle, when the phone rang again

"Yeah. Santini Air" Hawke barked into the receiver. Hawke frowned as he listened to the distorted voice on the other end. For a split second, he thought it sounded vaguely like Caitlin's brother, who he'd spoken to only last week but then he remembered Cait telling him he was away fishing with some buddies in Washington County.

"Caitlin? No she's outta town for a coupl-a days " Hawke lied fluently "Charter to Green Bay"

Hawke listened to the reply and scowled.

"No I don't have any contact information. Just who the hell is this?!"

Hawke glared at the receiver as the line went dead, and slamming down the phone he quickly closed up the hangar.

There was somewhere he needed to be.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

"Aww, C'mon Cait, do I have to?" Le Van Hawke asked as he bustled through the door of the cabin, closely followed by Cait, a large, brown paper bag of groceries balanced precariously in her arms.

"Hey, you know the drill mister Hawke" Cait smiled softly, sidestepping Tet who sat in the doorway, and pushed the door closed with her foot. The mutt merely raised his head in vague interest, before slinking off to his favoured position beside the hearth. " Homework first, dinner will be at seven"

Cait dumped the groceries on the counter and crossed the room to scratch Tet enthusiastically between the ears.

"Then can we watch it?" Le asked, dipping into the grocery bag and unpacking a block of cheese and fresh spinach and transferring them to the fridge.

"Maybe" Cait replied, joining the teenager in unpacking the food. " I gotta warn ya, Dom might wanna watch one of his John Wayne movies"

"Dom's coming for dinner?" The Amerasian asked

"He sure is"

Le remained silent, removing a couple of steaks and a few potatoes and stacking them onto the counter.

"What about Uncle String?" His dark gaze met Cait's. "He working late again?"

Cait hesitated, a tub of butter in her hand

"Le-" Cait began, her mind flickering briefly to Hawke and Charlotte Grant

" It's ok. You don't have to make excuses for him. You do that a lot" Le replied, pulling out fresh carrots and broccoli " My coach, he likes you"

Cait on her way to the fridge, fumbled the tub of butter and could only watch as it fell to the floor.

"What makes you say that?" Cait asked, snatching it up and depositing it next to the broccoli

"The way he looks at ya"

Le watched as Cait hid her blushing face in the coolness of the fridge, reorganising a shelf that really didn't need the attention. With a small smirk, the teenager ploughed on

"Have you told Uncle String?"

"Huh? " Cait swivelled on her heel to face the younger Hawke. "Told Hawke what?"

"That you and Coach St-"

"So! What about the regional finals next weekend!" Cait exclaimed, clapping her hands together in an attempt to shift the topic of conversation towards Le's upcoming karate event. She hadn't imagined Jack Stones attraction to her, in fact he'd made it pretty damn obvious. If she was honest, she was more than attracted to him.

But she hadn't imagined her and Hawke's almost kiss in the Jeep either.

Since then, she'd made one attempt to raise the said 'almost near kiss ' when they'd been unexpectedly alone, causing a scowling Hawke to grab his fishing rod and stalk emphatically out of the cabin. She hadn't seen him for a full two days after that and thought better of it for mentioning it again, instead throwing her efforts into helping Doc and Anna getting their new bar ready for the Grand Opening. If Stringfellow Hawke wasn't willing to commit, then maybe she ought to find someone that would, someone that would love her like she deserved to be loved, and somehow work to heal her broken heart over leaving those that meant most to her, in particular the young boy she'd made a promise to.

"Yeah, the Finals" Le said, a little deflated " Jonny Lucas has won the regionals three years running. You think I could actually win ?"

His dark eyes widened hopefully.

"Sure I do" Cait smiled, emptying the last of he grocery bag and arranging it in an orderly fashion in the fridge " Piece of cake. You've been practicing real hard"

"Cait-"

"Hmmm?-"

"If I win, does that mean I can come on an Airwolf mission with you, Uncle String and Dom? "

Cait whirled around from the fridge, chewing her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle a smile.

"Homework " Cait said, gesturing towards the stairs with a handful of parsley.

"Ok, ok. It was worth a try" Le said, holding up his hands in defeat. Le gave a small whistle and tapped the top of his thigh "C'mon Tet"

Cait smiled and shook her head as Le grabbed his rucksack off the couch and bounded up the stairs two at a time, with the old blue tick hound scrabbling up behind him.

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Hawke urged the chopper forward as he rounded the last bluff, the clouds that had gathered, parting just enough for the moonlight to reflect off the surface of the water. His trained eye swept over his mountain retreat, and immediately the unease he'd felt back at the hangar began to dissipate slightly as he spotted Cait's chopper in its usual spot on the new landing platform behind the cabin.

He landed the chopper on the dock with immaculate precision, and the rotors had barely stopped spinning before Hawke jumped from the cockpit and made his way towards the cabin.

A warmth encompassed him as Cait's eighties chart music filled the cabin, the beautiful aroma of whatever it was Cait was rustling up for dinner immediately filling his nostrils. He could definitely get used to coming home to this. Hell, who was he kidding, he already had. Hawkes gaze quickly alighted on the woman in question, dressed in jeans and a simple cream sweater, leaning over the breakfast bar engrossed in one of her magazines with half a glass of white wine by her side. He stood in the cabin doorway, rooted to the spot as Cait reached out for he wine glass, taking a quick sip as she flicked over a page before setting it back on the counter beside her.

Something must have clued Cait in to his arrival, as she suddenly looked up from the page she was reading.

"Hey" Cait said, a bright smile surfacing at the sight of him. "I thought you were gettin' a head start on the Huey."

"Figured it could wait" Hawke replied, shrugging off his flight jacket and hanging it on the peg.

"Halston job go Ok?" Cait asked, as she grabbed an empty wine glass and retrieved the wine from the kitchen.

"Waste of time"Hawke admitted, scraping a hand across his jaw as he collapsed wearily onto the sofa.

"Waste of time huh?"

"Yeah" Hawke replied, gratefully accepting the glass of wine Cait offered him as she plopped down onto the sofa next to him. "Let's just say we had a difference of opinion"

Cait sipped the last of her wine thoughtfully as she gazed into the flames roaring cheerfully in the hearth.

"You may as well get it over with"

Hawkes deep gravel tones broke the short silence as she lifted her gaze to meet his.

"Get what over with?" Cait asked as innocently as she could manage.

"The 'I told you so'"

Hawke quirked an eyebrow as he shifted forward and reached for the open bottle of wine that rested on the coffee table.

"The thought never even crossed my mind"

A small smile tugged at his lips as he caught the playful glint in Cait's eye. He refilled Cait's empty glass and handed it to her.

"Liar" Hawke said softly, nudging her shoulder with his own.

"Ok, fine. Stringfella Hawke, I told you so" Cait replied gleefully, eliciting a chuckle from Hawke "Was she mad?"

"You mean more or less than you?"

They both looked at each other before bursting into laughter, Cait's arms immediately enveloping her stomach as the tears poured down her cheeks. Somewhere, in the recesses of Hawke's mind, Cait's laughter was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He wanted to hear it again. And soon.

When the laughter finally subsided, Hawke proceeded to fill Cait in on his flight to San Diego as Cait checked the dinner and rejoined him on the couch, consciously making a decision to omit the part where Charlotte had more or less propositioned him in the hotel where she was having the business meeting. It had been blatantly obvious the minute she and Senator Grant had walked into the hangar and laid eyes on Hawke, that Charlotte had more on her mind than just a flight to San Diego and back. Cait had seen it, so had Dom and half the Airfield. It had become something of a running joke over at Mike Reynolds place, causing Hawke to stalk out of the Santini hangar and disappear for the entire morning, much to the Texans amusement.

He had to admit a few months ago, he would've been sorely tempted by her offer but as soon as he'd left the Tarmac, he suddenly found himself wishing he was somewhere else entirely. For the first time he could remember, the thought of returning to the cabin for a home cooked meal, conversation and the company of family, sounded infinitely more appealing than a plush hotel room with a beautiful woman or a small, uncomfortable cot in the corner of the hangar.

In light of this new found revelation, and alarmingly his own ease with it, Hawke took a healthy gulp of wine as he filled Cait in on the work he'd started on the Huey, the mysterious phone call back at the hangar ghosting across his mind.

Suggesting they could pick up the rest of the repairs the following morning, Hawke lapsed into a familiar silence, the crackling of the flames in the hearth the only sound that filled the cabin. Ever since their near kiss in the Jeep, Hawke had made a point of avoiding any situation that could remotely be construed as intimate. Cait had tried to bring it up a few times, but each time he'd shut her down, ending inevitably with him leaving and heading out to the Lair, his calloused hands running over the sleek lines of the Lady, bathed in her funnel of light. It was a place that made sense, where he felt untouchable, safe. Something he could hardly put into words had pulled him back to the cabin tonight, and as his heart betrayed his head, his gaze swept involuntarily over the woman in front of him, watching her trace a delicate finger tip around the rim of her empty wine glass, her brow furrowed as though deep in thought . When he would normally have extracted himself from this dangerous situation, he found himself shifting closer, throwing his arm casually over the back of the couch. The unique, familiar scent of lavender and jasmine suddenly assaulted his senses as he followed the dip of her neck to her shoulder where her sweater hung loosely, exposing the freckles scattered liberally over her porcelain white skin. Her cheeks were flushed with the heat of the fire, and in this moment, Hawke thought she had never looked more beautiful.

"Hawke?"

"Mmm?" He replied vaguely, resisting the urge to reach out and tangle his fingers in her strawberry blonde hair, softened by the Californian sun.

"What changed your mind?"

As the sound of Crowded House filled the cabin, Cerulean blue eyes collided with hers and their gaze caught and held. Just for a moment, everything fell away, the bubbling pan on the stove forgotten, not to mention the presence of one teenage boy upstairs.

Hawke opened his mouth to speak, anything to end the deafening silence that had engulfed the pair, but the word 'you' stuck fast in his throat.

"Cait-" Hawke said roughly, suddenly hyper aware of his close proximity to the Texan. Suddenly, a thump from upstairs had Hawke turning towards the stairs.

"Uncle String!"Le exclaimed, bounding down the stairs "Cait said you were working on the Huey for Uncle Dom tonight"

"Yeah. Change of plans" Hawke replied, rubbing the back of his neck. His gaze followed Cait as she left the couch and returned to the kitchen to attend to dinner.

"Hey, Uncle String-" Le began, plopping down into the space Cait had just vacated. He'd sensed his Uncles distraction and decided to use it to his advantage

"Yeah?"

"Sarah's dad has got courtside tickets to the Lakers on Saturday" Le told him, his dark eyes widening hopefully

"He has huh?" Hawke replied, his lips twitching into a grin at the youngsters enthusiasm.

"Yeah he's a CEO...of somethin'" Le replied hurriedly, waving a hand dismissively "So, can I go?"

Hawke thought for a moment.

"Her family going?"

Le nodded

"Her dad and brother. Her brothers like, really old"

Hawke frowned

"Just how old is he?"

"Twenty Four"

Hawke caught Cait's eye and a small smile surfaced at the sight of her own.

"So?"

Hawke turned his attention back to his nephew and shrugged a shoulder

"Guess it'd be fine by me"

"Cool!"

Cait smiled to herself at the interaction between the pair as Le chatted animatedly about the basketball and his new karate moves. It had been a tough few months for all of them since Hawke had taken in the boy he believed to be his nephew, and tensions had certainly been strained with Hawkes attempts to juggle family life with his obligations to Michael and The FIRM. It had also taken a great deal of adjustment on her part, becoming a semi regular fixture at the cabin, her relationship with Hawke as of yet undefined. He flip flopped between drawing her close, and keeping her at arms length, firmly in the friends category, which had caused Cait in the last week or so to re examine her place at the Cabin.

Cait was so consumed by her thoughts, she almost jumped at the tickle of warm breath on her neck that told her Hawke was no longer sitting on the couch.

"Something sure smells good" Hawke murmured in her ear as Le crossed the kitchen and peered into the pan

"Is it ready yet? I'm starved "

Cait swallowed hard and put the finishing touches to her pasta primavera.

"Almost"

Cait turned and met Hawkes gaze, immediately recognising the familiar stoop as she too heard the sound of a chopper rounding the bluff.

"Dom" Cait said with a smile. "I swear that man can smell food from a mile away"

"Try ten" Hawke smirked, taking a step back as Le brushed past him to fetch the plates and cutlery from the counter.

The cabin door burst open and Dom barrelled through, a gap tooth grin plastered across his face.

"Hi Dom" Cait flung over her shoulder as she transferred the pasta from the pan into a bowl.

"Hi Honey" Dom greeted, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the peg.

"Boy, something sure smells good" he remarked, whistling appreciatively through his teeth as he hung his red, satin cap next to his jacket.

"Right on time Dom, as always" Hawke said, as he joined his nephew in setting the table.

"Hey, a man can't function on an empty stomach" Dom replied, patting his rounded stomach

"Empty stomach? If I know Queenie, she would have had a feast fit for a King!"

Hawke said, catching Le's eye and giving him a wink. Le grinned and dipped his head as he set the cutlery beside the plates.

"Oh, sure she did" Dom grinned "But that was hours ago"

Right on cue, a loud growl emanated from Doms stomach, emphasising his point.

As they all sat down to dinner, Hawke surveyed the table with a well hidden contentment. Every so often, Cait would catch Hawkes eye as Dom recounted his visit with Queenie, and when he was certain no-one was looking, he gave her a quick wink, hiding his smile behind his wine glass as he noticed the faint blush creeping up her neck.

Later, after the table had been cleared of empty dishes, Le bounded up the stairs with the satellite phone to call Sarah, and when he was certain the teenager was out of earshot, Hawke turned to Dom who was still seated at the table.

"That from the Jeep?" Hawke asked, nodding towards the piece of cable in Doms hand

"Yeah, the brakes were tampered with alright" Dom confirmed, holding up the piece of cable between his fingers. Cait threw the dish towel onto the counter and joined Dom at the table., taking the cable from him and holding it up to the light.

"Cuts clean" Cait confirmed, handing it to Hawke who had appeared beside her. Something flickered briefly in Hawkes eyes before the impassive mask fell back into place

"How's Eddie gettin' on with the repairs?" Cait asked, slipping into a chair opposite Dom as Hawke returned to the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, Cait saw Hawke brace himself against the counter.

"Ah, you know Eddie " Dom blustered, waving a meaty hand dismissively "could be tomorrow, could be next year. He never did like me lookin' over his shoulder"

Sensing Hawkes darkening mood, Cait smiled and pushed herself to her feet.

"How about some apple pie, huh?"

Dom's grin grew wider

"Sweetheart, what would I do without you!"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

Much later, Hawke sat at the table, immersing himself in tying lines for fishing, his fingers working deftly in spite of the intricate work. Hawke had remained silent for the rest of the meal, and thankfully Cait hadn't felt it necessary to include him in the conversation. He eventually took his leave and disappeared with his cello onto the porch, leading Dom to say his goodbyes with the excuse of an early morning charter.

Hawke glanced up and smiled as Le slept curled up on the couch, a cushion hugged tightly to his chest. The end credits of the Karate Kid had begun to roll and his gaze shifted to Cait who dozed peacefully in the chair, her elbow rest on the back and her hand buried in her hair. Hawke sat back in his chair and marvelled at the way they both fit seamlessly into his life and It was quiet moments like these that Hawke savoured the most.

Without making a sound, Hawke made his way over to the couch and switched off the TV. He gently tapped Le's shoulder, rousing his nephew from his slumber.

"Huh-?" Le mumbled sleepily, his one open eye focussing on his uncle.

Hawke pressed a finger to his lips and gestured towards to Cait as Le rolled off the sofa and shuffled upstairs to his room.

"Hawke?"

Hawke looked over his shoulder as Cait stirred.

"What time is it?" Cait asked, unable to stifle a yawn as she shifted herself upright in the chair.

"Late" Hawke replied succinctly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you"

Hawke picked up the poker resting against the fireplace and stoked the fire, staring into the flames as they roared back to life.

"You didn't" Cait replied, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "I was just restin' my eyes. Anyways, I thought you were out on the porch. You usually play for a lot longer"

Hawke replaced the poker beside the fireplace and turned to face her.

"Restin' your eyes, huh?" Hawke replied with a small smile, knowing that it had been a full hour since he'd returned to the cabin and started work on the fishing lines.

"Quiet you" Cait smirked as she retrieved her open book from the arm of the chair. "Le in bed?"

Hawke gave a small nod of confirmation as her eyes returned to the page she'd been reading. Sensing he still hadn't moved from his position by the fireplace, Cait glanced up at him.

"Somethin' wrong Hawke?"

He shook his head as Cait's gaze searched his, and finding nothing there, her eyes returned to the words on the page.

Rubbing his chest, Hawke made his way to the bar, and the clinking of glasses told Cait he was rummaging for his favourite bourbon, which he always did when he had something on his mind. Hawke poured himself a drink and downed it in one smooth motion, the liquid burning his throat as he set the glass back on the bar.

"Cait-"

"Hmmm?"

"Would you have dinner with me?"

The words came tumbling out before he could stop them and from his place by the hearth, Tet raised his head in mild interest.

"String, we have dinner together every night" Cait replied, flicking over a page of her crime novel. When Hawke remained silent, Cait lowered her book and glanced up at the Pilot. Blue eyes collided with hers and Cait suddenly realised he wasn't just talking about grabbing an after work dinner at their favourite diner across from the Airfield.

"Oh-" "Cait replied, lowering her gaze as she attempted to smother the excitement that threatened to burst forth. She made a meal of marking her page, and slowly closed the book.

She stole a furtive glance in Hawkes direction and fought to hide her smile at the look of sheer panic that flit across his face. She'd waited three years for this. She wasn't about to make it easy, but if she didn't know better, she could have sworn this self assured, confident ladies man was actually nervous.

Cait cleared her throat

"Sure, if you want" she replied with a shrug, causing Hawke to frown at her apparent disinterest. He knew how he felt, but could he have got it so wrong about her? Asking her to dinner had been difficult enough, and he almost wanted to take the words back as soon as they'd left his mouth, but he'd never considered until now she might actually turn him down.

"You know we're being watched, right?"

Cait's voice pulled him from his brooding reverie, and found she was studying him with those wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Then we'll go somewhere they're not" Hawke replied, pouring himself another drink

"Just like that?"

"Sure, why not?"

Cait shook her head as she picked up her book and joined Hawke at the bar, sliding onto one of the bar stools.

"I never had you down as the spontaneous type, Stringfella Hawke" Cait smiled, opening her book at the page she'd marked.

Hawke reached across the bar and gently plucked the book from Cait's hands. She opened her mouth to protest as he laid the book to the side, but her voice deserted her as he leant forward until he was deliciously close. Their gaze caught and held.

"I'm full of surprises " he replied in deep gravel tones that sent shivers down her spine.

"So-" Cait said, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Where did you have in mind? Y'know those goons, whoever they are will be on our tails"

"Maybe" Hawke replied, "but they'll have to catch us first"

Cait raised an eyebrow at Hawkes sudden playful tone.

"A friend of mine owns a restaurant. He owes me a favour"

Cait glanced over the bar, the words 'overlooking the ocean' and 'quiet' barely discernible as he disappeared beneath.

"You mean Turk?" Cait asked, referring to Hawkes old army buddy. She sat back on her stool.

"Hawke, are you crazy? That's a two day flight in the Ranger, you'll have to log flight plans, and- not to mention leavin' Dom" Cait took a deep breath "We may as we'll have a flashin' neon sign!"

"I wasn't plannin' on logging any" Hawke mumbled from beneath the bar "We'll be there and back in a coupl-a hours"

Hawke suddenly reappeared, holding up a vintage bottle of red wine that happened to be one of Cait's favourites. He glared at the third of the liquid that still remained.

"Dammit, I'm gonna kill Michael" Hawke growled, knowing full well he'd left it more than half full.

"A coupl-a hours?" Cait asked as Hawke poured what was left into a glass. "Are you-"

The next words died on her lips as she quickly put two and two together.

"Oh ho, you can't be serious!" Cait exclaimed, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Ohmygod you are serious!" Cait said with a breathy laugh as she caught the unmistakable gleam in those beautiful blue eyes. "Michael will be so mad and that's sayin' some"

"I know" Hawke replied, his eyes glittering with mirth. He refilled his own glass with Bourbon and captured her eyes with his own.

"So what d'ya say, Cait? Wanna play hooky for a day and go fly The Lady?" Cait considered the invitation for all of a millisecond. They'd no doubt have to get round Dom for leaving him alone at the hangar with a full schedule, and Michael would be furious for their blatant misuse of a multi-million dollar piece of government equipment, but to spend all that time alone with Stringfellow Hawke was just too good to resist.

Cait reached for her glass and took a sip of wine, humming appreciatively at the velvety taste of cherries and spices.

"How's a girl supposed to say no to that?" Cait replied with a small smile "you are a dangerous man, Stringfellow Hawke"

Hawke surveyed her over the rim of his glass and took a sip of his drink.

"So I've been told"

He gave her a quick wink and clinked his glass against Cait's.

"See, the world didn't end"

Hawke took another sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving hers

"Yeah"

AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW

A sliver of moonlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the sleeping loft. The last embers of the fire had long burnt out, but still sleep eluded Hawke. He lay on his back, his arm behind his head as he watched shadows dance upon the ceiling, his thoughts utterly consumed by the Texan sleeping downstairs. He wondered yet again about the wisdom in getting involved with Cait. He'd grown easily accustomed to her presence, the way she hummed to herself when she cooked, the annoying way she left him sticky notes on the fridge,reminding him of social events he deliberately decided to forget. She filled the cabin with an energy he hadn't realised he'd ever missed, and he struggled to put the feeling into words. Yet, fear still gripped at his chest like a vice, a fear that if he gave himself to her, he'd lose her like he'd lost so many others. He'd asked her to dinner. He hadn't meant to, but seeing her wake up that evening, beautifully mussed from sleep, he quickly realised he wanted to wake up to that every single day for the rest of his life.

Cait was right. She'd agreed to go out on a date with him and the world hadn't imploded.

He'd asked her out and she'd said yes, yet the doubts still nagged at him. This was Cait. She deserved better than him, she deserved everything.

Now where the hell did they go from here?.


End file.
